dapE gene on Helicobacter pylori and dapE− mutant strains of Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT

The invention provides the dapE gene of  Helicobacter pylori  and  H. pylori  dapE −  mutants and to methods of using the mutants to express foreign genes and immunize against foreign agents. The dapE gene can consist of the nucleotide sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:3. Nucleic acids of the gidA gene and ORF 2 of  H. pylori  are provided. Examples of these nucleic acids can be found in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:5, respectively. Having provided these nucleic acids, hybridizing nucleic acids in accord with the description of hybridizing nucleic acids of dapE are also provided.

This application is a national phase of, and claims the benefit of international patent application PCT/US97/24147 filed Dec. 23, 1997, which claims priority from provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/033,824 filed Dec. 23, 1996. The PCT/US97/24147 and 60/033,824 applications are herein incorporated by this reference in their entirety.

This work was supported by NIHR01DK 50837. The government has certain rights in the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention pertains to the dapE gene of Helicobacter pylori and H. pylori dapE⁻ mutants and to methods of using the mutants to express foreign genes and immunize against foreign agents.

2. Background Art

Helicobacter pylori are gram negative enteric bacteria that colonize the human gastric mucosa and cause gastritis and peptic ulcer disease (6,11,15) and are implicated in malignant neoplasms of the stomach (5,26,30,37). Thus, there exists a need for a method of treating and preventing H. pylori infection.

The present invention meets these needs by providing the dapE gene of H. pylori and conditionally lethal mutants of H. pylori which can be used to express foreign proteins and to immunize against H. pylori infection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows physical maps of recombinant pBluescript plasmids containing gidA, dapE, and orf2. pAK1 contains the 3′ region of orf2 plus approximately 4 kb downstream. pAK2 contains a 5 kb EcoRI fragment that includes gidA, dapE, and orf2. Boxes and arrows beneath the plasmids represent the location of the genes and the presumed direction of translation, and km represents a cassette encoding kanamycin-resistance. Arrowheads with numbers represent sites of oligonucleotide primers used in PCR. Restriction endonuclease cleavage sites: Ba (BamHI), Bc (BclI), N (NdeI), E(EcoRI), and H (HindIII).

FIG. 2 shows the nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the region on the H. pylori chromosome including gidA, and dapE, and orf2. SEQ ID NO:7 defines the nucleotide sequence shown in FIG. 2. The sequence of gidA, dapE and orf2, and 579 bp upstream and 595 bp downstream are shown. The 1866 bp gidA commences at nucleotide 580 and ends at nucleotide 2445. The 1167 bp dapE commences at nucleotide 2456 and ends at nucleotide 3622. The 753 bp orf2 commences at nucleotide 3703 and ends at nucleotide 4455. The deduced amino acid sequence is shown beneath the nucleotides. A potential ribosome-binding site (Shine-Dalgarno sequence) and putative promoter elements (−35 and −10 sequences) are indicated. An open reading frame, tentatively called ORF1, which is deduced to be translated in the opposite orientation from gidA begins at nucleotide 483. An open reading frame, tentatively called ORF3, which is deduced to be translated in the opposite orientation from orf2 ends at nucleotide 4655.

FIG. 3A shows alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of the gidA products in E. coli (SEQ ID NO: 27) and H. influenzae (SEQ ID NO: 25) and the H. pylori homolog (SEQ ID NO: 26). To optimize the alignments, gaps were introduced when necessary. The vertical lines between residues indicate identity whereas two dots represents a conservative substitution.

FIG. 3B shows alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of the dapE products in E. coli (SEQ ID NO: 30) and H. influenzae (SEQ ID NO: 28) and the H. pylori homolog (SEQ ID NO: 29). To optimize the alignments, gaps were introduced when necessary. The vertical lines between residues indicate identity whereas two dots represents a conservative substitution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Nucleic Acids

An isolated dapE gene of Helicobacter pylori is provided. “Isolated” means a nucleic acid is separated from at least some of other components of the naturally occurring organism, for example, the cell structural components and/or other genes. The isolation of the nucleic acids can therefore be accomplished by techniques such as cell lysis followed by phenol plus chloroform extraction, followed by ethanol precipitation of the nucleic acids (24). It is not contemplated that the isolated nucleic acids are necessarily totally free of non-nucleic acid components, but that the isolated nucleic acids are isolated to a degree of purification to be useful in a clinical, diagnostic, experimental, or other procedure such as gel electrophoresis, Southern or dot blot hybridization, or PCR. A skilled artisan in the field will readily appreciate that there are a multitude of procedures which may be used to isolate the nucleic acids prior to their use in other procedures. These include, but are not limited to, lysis of the cell followed by gel filtration or anion exchange chromatography, binding DNA to silica in the form of glass beads, filters or diatoms in the presence of high concentration of chaotropic salts, or ethanol precipitation of the nucleic acids.

The nucleic acids of the present invention can include positive and negative strand RNA as well as DNA and is meant to include genomic and subgenomic nucleic acids found in the naturally occurring organism. The nucleic acids contemplated by the present invention include double stranded and single stranded DNA of the genome, complementary positive stranded cRNA and mRNA, and complementary cDNA produced therefrom and any nucleic acid which can selectively or specifically hybridize to the isolated nucleic acids provided herein.

The dapE gene can consist of the nucleotide sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:3. Other examples of the dapE gene of H. pylori can be found in any H. pylori isolate. Although there may be small differences (e.g., point mutations) among the dapE genes of H. pylori strains, these differences, if any, do not prevent the isolation and sequencing or other uses of this gene from other H. pylori strains. Thus, primers from the present dapE sequence can be used to amplify dapE from any sample in which it occurs, and oligonucleotide segments of the exemplified dapE gene can be used to probe a sample for the presence of the H. pylori dapE or, more generally, H. pylori. It may be preferable to use slightly longer primers than the standard primers of 17 nucleotides, for example, primers of approximately 25 nucleotides.

The dapE gene can be distinguished from other nucleic acids, because of its conserved genomic location. Particularly, dapE is flanked upstream by gidA and downstream by orf2. This conserved location also makes obtaining dapE from other H. pylori strains routine and predictable. For example, primers that hybridize with the highly conserved gidA and orf2 can be used to amplify dapE from any sample in which it occurs. Similarly, a primer that hybridizes with one or the other of the highly conserved gidA and orf2 can be paired with a primer from the exemplified dapE to amplify dapE (or a segment of it) from any sample in which it occurs. Additionally, since the position of this gene in the H. pylori genome is known, it can be mutated in any strain, according to the methods taught herein.

DapE-encoding nucleic acids can be isolated from H. pylori) using any of the routine techniques. For example, a genomic DNA or cDNA library can be constructed and screened for the presence of the nucleic acid of interest using one of the present dapE nucleic acids as a probe. Methods of constructing and screening such libraries are well known in the art and kits for performing the construction and screening steps are commercially available (for example, Stratagene Cloning Systems, La Jolla, Calif.). Furthermore, genomic DNA can be isolated from an H. pylori strain and screened using one of the present dapE nucleic acids as a probe. Once isolated, the dapE nucleic acid can be directly cloned into an appropriate vector, or if necessary, be modified to facilitate the subsequent cloning steps. Such modification steps are routine, an example of which is the addition of oligonucleotide linkers which contain restriction sites to the termini of the nucleic acid. General methods are set forth in Sambrook et al. (24).

A H. pylori-specific nucleic acid fragment of the dapE gene is provided. For example, the fragment can consist of the nucleotide sequence of the 1.1 kb dapE-specific fragment, further described in the Examples. Other examples can be obtained routinely using the methods taught herein and in the art.

A nucleic acid that encodes a naturally occurring DapE protein of Helicobacter pylori and hybridizes with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the stringency conditions of about 16 hrs at about 65° C., about 5×SSC, about 0.1% SDS, about 2×Denhardt's solution, about 150 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA with washing at about 65° C., 30 min, 2×, in about 0.1×SSPE/0.1% SDS is provided. Alternative hybridization conditions include 68° C. for about 16 hours in buffer containing about 6×SSC, 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate, about 5×Denhardt's solution and about 100 μg salmon sperm DNA, with washing at about 60° C. in about 0.5×SSC (Tummuru, M. K. R., T. Cover, and M. J. Blaser (24).

A nucleic acid probe that hybridizes with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under either of the above described stringency conditions can be used to identify dapE in other strains of H. pylori.

A nucleic acid primer that hybridizes with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the polymerase chain reaction conditions of 35 cycles of 94° C. for 1 min, 50° C. for 2 min, and 72° C. for 2 min, with a terminal extension at 72° C. for min. These conditions can be used with the relevant primers to identify dapE, including interstrain variants. Examples of these primers are described in the Examples.

The selectively hybridizing nucleic acids of the invention can have at least 70%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 97%, 98% and 99% complementarity with the segment and strand of the sequence to which it hybridizes. The nucleic acids can be at least 15, 18, 20, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 500, 750, 1000, 2000, 3000 or 4000 nucleotides in length. Thus, the nucleic acid can be an alternative coding sequence for the H. pylori dapE, or can be used as a probe or primer for detecting the presence H pylori. If used as primers, the invention provides compositions including at least two nucleic acids which selectively hybridize with different regions so as to amplify a desired region. Depending on the length of the probe or primer, it can range between 70% complementary bases and full complementarity with the segment to which it hybridizes. For example, for the purpose of diagnosing the presence of H. pylori, the degree of complementarity between the hybridizing nucleic acid (probe or primer) and the sequence to which it hybridizes (H. pylori DNA from a sample) should be at least enough to exclude hybridization with a nucleic acid from related bacterium. Thus, a nucleic acid that selectively hybridizes with a H. pylori DapE coding sequence will not selectively hybridize under stringent conditions with a nucleic acid for a DapE of another species, and vice versa. The degree of complementarity required to distinguish selectively hybridizing from nonselectively hybridizing nucleic acids under stringent conditions can be clearly determined for each nucleic acid. It should also be clear that a selectively hybridizing nucleic acid will not hybridize with nucleic acids encoding unrelated proteins.

Nucleic acids of the gidA gene and ORF2 of H. pylori are provided. Examples of these nucleic acids can be found in SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO:5, respectively. Having provided these nucleic acids, hybridizing nucleic acids in accord with the description of hybridizing nucleic acids of dapE are also provided.

The nucleic acids of the invention (dapE, gidA and ORF2, and their fragments) can also be in a composition such as a genetic construct, which includes other nucleic acids such as origins of replication, promoters, other protein coding sequences, etc. The composition can also, or alternatively, contain compounds, such as non-nucleic acid marker molecules attached to the nucleic acids.

Vectors

The DapE-encoding nucleic acid and selectively hybridizing nucleic acids of the invention can be in a vector suitable for expressing the nucleic acid. The nucleic acid in a vector can be in a host suitable for expressing the nucleic acid.

A plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a functional DapE protein of H. pylori is provided. The plasmid can further comprise a nucleic acid encoding a non-H. pylori (foreign) protein. The foreign protein encoded can be immunogenic, antigenic, or enzymatic proteins of bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite. For example the protein can be from Salmonella (Salmonella enteritidis), Shigella species, Yersinia, enterotoxigenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bordatella pertussis, Bacillus anthracis, P. falciparum, human immunodeficiency virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, histoplasma capsulatum or other infectious organisms.

Other foreign proteins include sperm antigens for use to immunize against sperm as a form of birth control. Also contemplated are immunomodulating proteins to treat against inflammatory diseases and cytotoxic proteins to treat against malignancies. Likewise, the foreign protein need not be an antigen, but can instead be protein of the host. In this embodiment the H. pylori mutant strain is used to express a host protein in vivo to provide or augment an activity of the host protein. Thus, the H. pylori dapE⁻ mutant can include an insulin gene for use in a method of delivering insulin to diabetics or it can include a gene for TNF for modulating or augmenting the host response to stress. In each case the amount of DAP provided to the host can be used to control the amount of the protein that is expressed. As noted elsewhere in the application, the H. pylori dapE⁻ strain can also have other introduced attenuating mutations or it can be a naturally occurring vacuolating toxin strain.

The plasmids of the present invention can be any of the well know plasmids used in bacteria. For example, the plasmid can include a 1.5 kb HindIII fragment cloned into the polylinker of a pUC vector. One such vector has a kanamycin resistance cassette inserted into this hybrid clone and is called pHP1.

Another shuttle vector that can be used as an example of the type of construct that would be useful, was that described by Schmitt et al. (Mol. Gen. Genetics. 1995. 248:563-472). In the case described, a cryptic H. pylori plasmid, pHe1 was ligated with an E. coli replicon to prepare an E. coli-H. pylori shuttle vector. Schmitt et al. cloned the H. pylori recA gene into the shuttle vector to create pDH38 which was introduced into an H. pylori strain by natural transformation. This vector was shown to complement the recA deficiency on a parental strain.

Vectors other than plasmids that can be used in H. pylori include transducing bacteriophage.

Mutant H. pylori

A purified mutant strain of H. pylori that does not express a functional DapE protein is provided. The mutant can either not express DapE or express a non-functioning DapE. Such a mutant is also referred to herein as a dapE⁻ mutant. Mutations to the dapE gene on the H. pylori chromosome that result in a dapE⁻ mutant can be made by insertion, deletion or internal modification.

In one example, the mutant H. pylori strain is obtained by making an insertion substitution mutation in the coding sequence for the DapE as described in the Examples. Since the present invention provides the nucleic acid encoding DapE, other methods of mutating the coding sequence of DapE can be used to obtain other mutant strains as contemplated herein.

One example of the dapE⁻ mutant strain is deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, 12301 Parklawn Drive Rockville, Md. 20852 on Dec. 6, 1996 under accession no. ATCC 55897. This example was made according to one method of making such mutants taught in the Examples.

Additional mutants can be prepared, for example, by inserting a nucleic acid in the dapE gene or deleting a portion of the dapE gene so as to render the gene non-functional or protein produced in such low amounts that the organism dies in the absence of DapE supplementation. Furthermore, by providing the nucleotide sequence for the nucleic acid encoding the DapE, the present invention permits the making of specific point mutations having the desired effect. The deletion, insertion or substitution mutations can be made in either the regulatory or coding region to prevent transcription or translation or to render the transcribed and translated product nonfunctional.

One such approach to the construction of a deletion or insertion mutant is via the Donnenberg method (Donnenberg and Kaper Infect. Immun. 4310-4317, 1991). A deletion in dapE is created by deleting a restriction fragment and religating the clone. This mutant is cloned into suicide vector pILL570. The sacB gene of Bacillus subtilis is also cloned into the suicide vector to provide a conditionally lethal phenotype. This construct is transformed into H. pylori by electroporation, and transformants selected by spectinomycin resistance. The merodiploid strain which contains the suicide vector and the mutated version of the dapE gene are exposed to sucrose to directly select for organisms that have undergone a second recombination, resulting in the loss of the vector. These and other well known methods of making mutations can be applied to the nucleic acids provided herein to obtain other desired mutations. Included are insertional mutagenesis as described in reference 8, as well as linker-scanning mutagenesis (46) and site-directed mutagenesis (47).

Non-isogenic mutants are also within the scope of the invention. For example, a live attenuated H. pylori that is also a dapEE⁻ mutant according to the present invention, is provided. A dapE⁻recA⁻ mutant strain is constructed, for example, by insertion mutation of both the dapE and recA genes, according to the methods taught herein for dapE and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,253, issued on Jul. 18, 1995 for recA. A dapE⁻recA-cagA- mutant strain is constructed, for example, by insertion mutation of all three genes, according to the methods taught herein, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,253 and in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/053,614, which describes the generation of a cagA (referred to therein as tagA) mutant. A dapE⁻recA⁻vacA⁻ mutant strain is constructed, for example, by insertion mutation of all three genes, according to the methods taught herein. A dapE⁻recA⁻cagA⁻vacA⁻ mutant strain is constructed, for example, by insertion mutation of all four genes, according to the methods taught herein and the above cited patents and patent applications. Furthermore, a mutation in dapE combined with any one or more of the above or other mutations can be made. Any of the well known methods of mutating a gene can be used in the present invention to generate H. pylori mutant strains. The strains can be tested as provided for immunogenicity, conditional lethality, vacuolating activity, etc.

The dapE⁻ mutant strain can also have in its chromosome a nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein. Briefly, this can be accomplished by inserting SacB in the chromosome as above, then using a suicide vector that has the foreign gene replacing dapE and flanked by gidA and orf2. The suicide vector is then transformed into H. pylori using natural transformation conditions such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,253, and in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 08/053,614, 08/215,928 and 08/200,232. After transformation the H. pylori is then grown on sucrose-containing plates. This selects for replacement of the sacB insert by the foreign gene.

The foreign protein encoded can be as described above.

The dapE⁻ mutant strain can also contain a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein. The foreign protein encoded can be as described above.

The dapE⁻ mutant H. pylori can be transformed with, and thus, contain a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a functional DapE protein. This can be accomplished using natural transformation such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,253, and in U.S. application Ser. Nos. 08/053,614, 08/215,928 and 08/200,232. Under the appropriate conditions the dapE⁻ mutant H. pylori can express a functioning dapE protein due to trans complementation by the dapE gene on the plasmid. These are the typical growth conditions for H. pylori, such as are described in the example.

The mutant H. pylori containing a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a functional DapE protein can include in its chromosome a foreign nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein. A method of inserting a foreign gene in the H. pylori chromosome is described above. The mutant H. pylori containing a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a functional DapE protein wherein the plasmid further comprises a nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein is provided.

Having provided the present conditionally lethal dapE⁻ mutant and method of generating such a conditionally lethal mutation in the genome of H. pylori, the present invention leads predictably to other conditionally lethal mutations in H. pylori. Such mutants include those with mutations in genes essential for cell wall synthesis or particular biochemical pathways for which the product can be used to complement the mutation.

The dapE⁻ mutant strain containing a foreign protein in either its chromosome or in a plasmid can be used as an expression system for expressing the foreign protein.

Foreign Gene Expression Method

The present invention provides methods to deliver foreign antigens via the present dapE⁻ mutant H. pylori strain engineered to also contain nucleic acids either in the chromosome or on a plasmid (e.g., an H. pylori shuttle plasmid) which express the foreign antigen of interest.

A method is provided for maintaining the expression of a foreign antigen in Helicobacter pylori, comprising: a) transforming a mutant Helicobacter pylori that does not produce of functioning DapE protein with a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a functional DapE protein and comprising a nucleic acid encoding the foreign protein; and b) maintaining the mutant Helicobacter pylori from step a under conditions that permit expression of the foreign protein. Furthermore, by maintaining the H. pylori from step a in medium without added L-DAP, only the H. pylori that contain the plasmid will survive.

Screening for H. pylori mutants

The present dapE⁻ mutant can be used in a method of screening for and selecting H. pylori mutants. Because of the attributes of the dapE⁻ mutant, mutants can be selected without the use of antibiotic resistance. This makes the mutants safer for use in humans, because there is no risk of introducing an organism that is resistant to antibiotics, and thus, not removable by antibiotic treatment. Briefly, dapE is deleted from the chromosome or insertionally mutated and the stain is grown in L-DAP-containing medium. A shuttle vector (plasmid) is constructed that encodes DapE to complement the dapE mutation in the chromosome and encodes a foreign protein. The plasmid is transformed into the dapE⁻ H. pylori, which are grown on medium without L-DAP. This selects for maintenance of the plasmid.

It should be noted that in the methods and compositions described, the foreign antigen gene can either be in the chromosome replacing dapE or elsewhere in the chromosome. The foreign gene can be on the plasmid that encodes DapE, so that dapE⁻ strains can be used as hosts for any number (multiple copies) or type (cocktail) of gene that may be on any number of plasmids. These strains are expected to survive well since functional DapE is provided. They can be attenuated elsewhere, for example in recA or in vacA so that they are less toxic.

Immunization Methods

An immunogenic amount of the dapE⁻ mutant H. pylori in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier can be used as a vaccine.

A method is provided for immunizing a subject against infection with Helicobacter pylori, comprising: a) administering to the subject the dapE⁻ mutant strain of H. pylori; b) supplementing the subject's diet with diaminopimelic acid (DAP) in the form of L-DAP or meso DAP (a mixture of L-DAP and D-DAP) to maintain the mutant strain in the subject at least long enough for the subject to mount an immune response to the strain; and c) ceasing the supplementation of the subject's diet with diaminopimelic acid to kill the mutant strain in the immunized subject. The immunization methods described herein comprise administering to the subject an immunogenic amount of mutant H. pylori in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the mutant. The length of time to which the subject is exposed to the mutant strain, i.e., the length of time L-DAP supplementation is provided, will typically be from a few days (2 or 3) up to a few weeks (2 or 3). The exact time course may vary from individual to individual and can be verified by tests for the presence of an immune response such as indicated by the presence of antibodies against the H. pylori in a tissue sample (e.g., gastric juice, blood, plasma, urine and saliva) from the subject.

A method of immunizing a subject against bacterial infection is provided, comprising: a) administering to the subject the dapE⁻ mutant strain having in its chromosome a nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein (e.g., an immunogen of the bacterium); b) supplementing the subject's diet with L-DAP to maintain the mutant strain in the subject at least long enough for the subject to mount an immune response to the strain; and c) ceasing the supplementation of the subject's diet with diaminopimelic acid to kill the mutant strain in the immunized subject. The immunization methods described herein comprise administering to the subject an immunogenic amount of mutant H. pylori in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the mutant. The length of time to which the subject is exposed to the mutant strain is as described above. The exact time course will vary from individual to individual and can be verified by tests for the presence of an immune response such as is measured by assays for antibodies against the foreign protein in a tissue sample (e.g., gastric juice, blood, plasma, urine and saliva) from the subject.

A method of immunizing a subject against a bacterial infection, comprising: a) administering to the subject the dapE⁻ mutant strain containing a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid encoding a foreign protein; b) supplementing the subject's diet with diaminopimelic acid to maintain the mutant strain in the subject at least long enough for the subject to mount an immune response to the strain; and c) ceasing the supplementation of the subject's diet with diaminopimelic acid to kill the mutant strain in the immunized subject.

In the above methods wherein the foreign antigen encoding gene is on the dapE-containing plasmid, the host strain can be attenuated in other genes (e.g., recA, vacA, etc.)

The present immunization methods are useful in immunizing against infection with bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses. Thus, the foreign protein encoded can be an antigen (immunogen) of the bacterium, virus, fungus or protozoan against which immunization is being made. The foreign protein encoded can be immunogenic, antigenic, or enzymatic proteins of Salmonella (Salmonella enteritidis), Shigella, Yersinia, enterotoxigenic and enterohemorrhagic E. coli, M. tuberculosis, Streptococcus pyogenes, P. falciparum, human immunodeficiency virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus or other infectious organisms. Other foreign proteins include sperm antigens for use to immunize against sperm as a form of birth control or immunomodulating proteins or cytotoxic proteins as described above. The immunization methods for these microorganisms also comprise administering to the subject an immunogenic amount of mutant H. pylori containing the gene for a foreign immunogen in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier for the mutant. The length of time to which the subject is exposed to the mutant strain, i.e., the length of time L-DAP supplementation is provided, will typically be from a few days (2 or 3) up to a few weeks (2 or 3). The exact time course may vary from individual to individual and can be verified by tests for the presence an of immune response (e.g., by the presence of antibodies) against the foreign protein in a tissue sample (gastric juice, blood, plasma, urine and saliva) from the subject. Clearly, if the subject produces antibodies against the microorganism, it is understood that the antibodies are against the recombinant protein produced by the altered H. pylori strain.

Determining Immunogenicity and Immunogenic Amounts

The isolated mutant strains of the invention can be tested to determine their immunogenicity. Briefly, various concentrations of a putative immunogen are prepared and administered to an animal and the immunological response (e.g., the production of antibodies or cell mediated immunity) of an animal to each concentration is determined. The amounts of antigen administered depend on the subject, e.g. a human, mouse or gerbil, the condition of the subject, the size of the subject, etc. Thereafter, an animal so inoculated with the strain can be exposed to the bacterium to test the potential vaccine effect of the specific immunogenic protein or fragment.

For example, well-established models include gnotobiotic piglets and mice. The dapE⁻ mutant strain is first fed to the piglets or mice and maintained by DapE supplementation. After a suitable interval, the supplementation is stopped and the clearance of the vaccine strain is evaluated. Next, this piglet or mouse is challenged with a wild-type H. pylori strain or other microorganism and the presence or absence of infection is ascertained (48, 49). This same system can also be used to determine the amounts of mutant required to have a protective effect.

Once immunogenicity is established as described above, immunogenic amounts of the antigen can be determined using standard procedures. Briefly, various concentrations of the dapE⁻ mutant are prepared, administered to an animal and the immunological response (e.g., the production of antibodies) of an animal to each concentration is determined.

Pharmaceutically Acceptable Carrier

The pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in the vaccine of the instant invention can comprise saline or other suitable carriers (Arnon, R. (Ed.) Synthetic Vaccines I:83-92, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla., 1987). An adjuvant can also be a part of the carrier of the vaccine, in which case it can be selected by standard criteria based on the antigen used, the mode of administration and the subject (Arnon, R. (Ed.), 1987). Methods of administration can be by oral or sublingual means, or by injection, depending on the particular vaccine used and the subject to whom it is administered.

It can be appreciated from the above that the vaccine and immunization method can be used as a prophylactic or a therapeutic modality, for example, by inducing a therapeutic immune response. Thus, the invention provides methods of preventing or treating H. pylori infection and the associated diseases by administering the vaccine to a subject. Because the dapE⁻ mutant can contain and express many different foreign immunogens, the invention also provides methods of treating or preventing infections with other organisms.

DapE, GidA and ORF2 Proteins

A purified DapE protein of Helicobacter pylori is provided. The DapE protein can consist of the amino acid sequence defined in SEQ ID NO:4. A H. pylori-specific fragment of the DapE protein can be routinely obtained in accord with teaching herein and in the art, and is contemplated.

Similarly, the GidA protein and the protein encoded by ORF2 are provided in SEQ ID NOS:2 and 6.

EXAMPLES

Characterization of Helicobacter pylori dapE and construction of a conditionally lethal dapE⁻ mutant

Bacterial Strains, Plasmids and Growth Conditions

H. pylori strain 60190 was used for the molecular cloning studies, and 21 well characterized clinical H. pylori strains from the Vanderbilt University Helicobacter/Campylobacter culture collection were used to determine the conservation of the cloned genes. Stock cultures were maintained at −70° C. in Brucella Broth (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockysville, Md.) supplemented with 15% glycerol. E. coil DH5α, XL-1blue, and Dam⁻ strains were used for transformation, and pBluescript (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif., USA) was used as a cloning vector. E. coli strains were routinely cultured in Luria-Bertani(LB) medium with shaking at 37° C., and the clinical H. pylori isolates were cultured on Trypticase soy agar plates containing 5% sheep blood in a microaerobic atmosphere, as described (13). For transformation of H. pylori (14), strains were grown at 37° C. in a microaerobic atmosphere on Brucella agar plates containing 5% Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) and 30 μg/ml kanamycin and supplements of 0 to 2 mM DAP (a racemic mixture of all three DAP isomers, Sigma Chemical Co, St. Louis, Mo.) or 1 mM lysine (Sigma).

Genetic Techniques and Nucleotide Sequence Analysis

Chromosomal DNA was prepared as described previously (40). All other standard molecular genetic techniques including Southern and colony hybridizations were performed, as described (24, 39). For molecular cloning, positive plaques were purified from a bank of approximately 5 kb random chromosomal fragments of H. pylori 60190 using ZapII and recombinant DNA was prepared as described (40). Restriction enzyme cleavage maps were generated, and a 5 kb fragment was subcloned into pBluescript to create pAK2 (FIG. 1). Another 5 kb fragment carrying a portion of the H. pylori genome overlapping only the orf2 region of pAK2 was subcloned into pBluescript to create pAK1 (FIG. 1). The nucleotide sequence was determined unambiguously on both strands using double-stranded DNA templates using an automated DNA sequencer (Perkin Elmer, Model ABI377, Foster City, Calif.) with the ThermoSequenase dye primer reaction kit (Amersham, Arlington Heights, Ill.). Oligonucleotide primers were synthesized at the Vanderbilt Cancer Center DNA core facility with an ABI 392 DNA synthesizer sequencer (Perkin Elmer). Nucleotide sequences were compiled and analyzed using programs in the GCG Package (16). Amplifications were conducted in a Perkin-Elmer Thermal Cycler. PCR conditions used in this study were 35 cycles of 94° C. for 1 min, 50° C. for 2 min, and 72° C. for 2 min, with a terminal extension at 72° C. for 10 min, and the primers used in this study are listed in Table 1.

TABLE 1 PCR Primers used in this study Designation Gene Position^(a) Strand Length Sequence Reference 1 gidA 569-586 + 18 CAGGAAAAAGAGTGGTAA (SEQ ID No: 8) This work 2 gidA 2428-2445 − 18 TTAAGAGTTTTTTCGCAA (SEQ ID No: 9) This work 3 dapE 2445-2462 + 18 AAGGATATTTAATGAACG (SEQ ID No: 10) This work 4 dapE 3613-3633 − 21 GTTTATTTATTTTATGCCTCA (SEQ ID No: 11) This work 5 orf2 3801-3819 + 19 TAATTTAGGCATAGAGAGC (SEQ ID No: 12) This work 6 orf2 4024-4044 + 20 TATAACGGACAAGGCGTATCT (SEQ ID No. 13) This work 7 orf2 4429-4450 − 24 GTTCTATTTTCAATTCCTTGAGAG (SEQ ID No. 14) This work 8 orf3 5086-5103 − 18 GCGTGAATGAATACGATA (SEQ ID No. 15) This work 9 km 689-712 − 24 CTCCCACCAGCTTATATACCTTAG (SEQ ID No. 16) 22 10 km 1336-1356 + 21 CTGGGGATCAAGCCTGATTGG (SEQ ID No. 17) 22 11 km 572-591 − 20 GACCGTTCCGTGGCAAAGCA (SEQ ID No. 18) 38 12 km 1601-1622 + 22 CTTGTGCAATGTAACATCAGAG (SEQ ID No. 19) 38 13 gidA 2300-2317 + 18 GCATTCCAGGCTTAAGCT (SEQ ID No. 20) This work 14 dapE 2631-2650 − 20 TGCATGTTCTTTTTCTGCAT (SEQ ID No. 21) This work 15 dapE 3506-3523 + 18 GAGTTTGGCGTTATTAAT (SEQ ID No. 22) This work 16 orf2 3850-3866 − 17 GCTTTTTCAAAATGCGT (SEQ ID No. 23) This work 17 vacA 4116-4134 − 16 AAGCTTGATCACTCC (SEQ ID No. 24) 14 ^(a)Position in sequence shown in FIG. 2 except for km and vacA primers. Position refer to those in the cited publications.

Construction of Recombinant Plasmids with Insertion of Kanamycin-resistance Cassettes into Targeted Genes

A C. coli km gene (22) was ligated into the unique BclI site of pAK2 within the gidA ORF to create pAK2:gidA:km (pME36) (FIG. 1). An E. coli km cassette from pUC4K (38) was inserted into the unique NdeI site within the dapE ORF to create pAK2:dapE:km (pMAK36) (FIG. 1). orf2 contained no unique sites for km insertion, but 3 HindIII sites were present within 107 bp. Therefore, to create orf2:km, the orf2 ORF from pAK1 was PCR-amplified and subcloned the amplified fragment into pT7Blue (Novagen, Madison, Wis.) to create pAK7. The 430 bp insert was subcloned into pCR-Script Cam SK (+), (Stratagene, La Jolla, Calif.), a pBluescript derivative encoding chloramphenicol resistance, to create pAK8. After HindIII digestion of pAK8, the km cassette from pUC4K was inserted into orf2 to create pAK8:orf2:km (pAKQ) (FIG. 1).

Construction of H. pylori dapE and orf2 Mutants

The constructs, pAK2:gidA:km (pME36), pAK2:dapE:km (pMAK36), or pAK8:orf2:km (pAKQ), all of which are unable to replicate in H. pylori, were introduced into H. pylori 60190 by natural transformation; pCTB8:km containing vacA:km was used as a positive control (14). The transformants were selected on Brucella broth agar plates containing 5% FCS and 30 μg/ml kanamycin. In certain experiments, plates were supplemented with 1 mM DAP to determine the conditions necessary for dapE⁻ mutant viability. To determine the minimum concentration needed for growth of the dapE⁻ mutant, strains were grown on media supplemented with 0 to 2.0 mM DAP or 1.0 mM lysine. To provide genetic evidence in the transformed strain of dapE disruption by the km insertion, DNA isolated from both the H. pylori mutant strain 60190 pAK2:dapE:km and wild-type strain 60190 was digested with BamHI and hybridized to dapE and km probes. The authenticity of the mutant strain also was verified by PCR, using primers based on dapE and km (FIG. 1 and Table 1). The authenticity of the orf2⁻ mutants also was verified by Southern hybridization and PCR using parallel methods.

Evidence of Homologous Recombination Between pAK2:gidA:km and H. pylori Strain 60190 Chromosomal DNA

No viable gidA mutants were obtained, even with selection on media supplemented with DAP or lysine. To provide genetic evidence that double cross-over events had occurred during the pre-selective growth phase, allowing for the insertion of km in the H. pylori chromosome within gidA, PCR was performed with a forward primer specific for km (primer 10 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) and a reverse primer (primer 8 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) specific for a region of the H. pylori chromosome present in pAK1 that is beyond the fragment cloned in pAK2. DNA isolated from wild type strain 60190 was examined after overnight incubation with pAK2:gidA:km. As negative controls, DNA from wild type strain 60190 and a mixture of DNA from wild type strain 60190 and pAK2:gidA:km were used. As a positive control, the forward km primer (primer 10 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) and a confirmed vacA reverse primer (primer 17 in Table 1) (14) were tested on DNA isolated from wild type strain 60190 after overnight incubation with pCTB8:vacA:km.

RNA Isolation, Reverse Transcriptase-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), and Slot-blot Analysis

To determine whether gidA, dapE, and orf2 are co-transcribed, wild type and mutant H. pylori strains were cultured for 24 h on Brucella agar plates containing 5% FCS supplemented with 1 mM DAP, cells were harvested, and RNA was recovered for RT-PCR by two rounds of hot-phenol extraction, as described previously (40). cDNA was synthesized from log of DNAse-treated total RNA by priming with 1 μg of random hexamer (Pharmacia, Inc., Piscataway, N.J.), 1 mM of each dNTP, 20 units of RNAse inhibitor and AMV reverse transcriptase (Promega, Madison, Wis.) in a final volume of 20 ul at 42° C. for 15 min. PCR reactions were performed as described above.

Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed on specific RT-PCR amplified products from H. pylori wild-type and mutant strains using primers within gidA, dapE, or orf2 as follows: Lanes 1, 4, 7—wild type strain 60190; lanes 2, 5, 8—dapE⁻ mutant strain (60190E⁻); lanes 3, 6, 9—orf2⁻ mutant strain (60190-2⁻). PCR was performed using primers 13 and 14 and DNA (lanes 1-3), cDNA (lanes 4-6) or RNA (lanes 7-9) as templates. PCR was performed using primers 15 and 16 and DNA (lanes 1-3), cDNA (lanes 4-6) or RNA (lanes 7-9) as templates.

To provide further evidence that orf2 is co-transcribed with dapE, slot-blot RNA analysis of mRNA transcripts of gidA, dapE, and orf2 was used. DNAse-treated RNA samples (12 μg) from wild type(WT) H. pylori strain 60190, or its dapE⁻ or orf2⁻ mutants were transferred to nylon membranes, and hybridized with equal amounts (50,000 cpm) of radiolabelled cagA, gidA, dapE, or orf2 probes. Hybridization used probes specific for gidA (1.9 kb PCR-amplified gidA-specific fragment), dapE (1.1 kb PCR-amplified dapE-specific fragment), orf2 (0.7 kb PCR-amplified orf2-specific fragment), or cagA as positive control (0.5 kb PCR-amplified cagA-specific fragment). The amount of radiolabel (50,000 cpm) was standardized for each probe, and experiments were performed as previously described (32).

Isolation of H. pylori dapE

A 5 kb EcoRI genomic fragment from H. pylori strain 60190 was cloned into pBluescript to create pAK2 (FIG. 1), and the nucleotide sequence of this fragment was determined (FIG. 2). Analysis of translation of the 5050 bp nucleotide sequence in all possible reading frames revealed five complete or partial open reading frames (ORFs). The three complete ORFs, consisting of 1866, 1167, and 753 nucleotides, were oriented in the same direction and opposite to the partial ORFs present at the ends of the fragment (FIGS. 1 and 2). The first complete ORF begins with GTG as the initiation codon, and encodes a 621 amino acid polypeptide, yielding a predicted product with a 69,665 Da molecular mass. The second ORF begins with an ATG codon, 10 bp after the termination of the first ORF and encodes a 388 amino acid polypeptide, yielding a predicted 42,822 Da product. The third ORF begins with ATG 80 bp after the termination of the second ORF, and encodes a 250 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 27,585 Da. Potential ribosome binding sites begin 6 or 7 bp upstream of each ORF. Upstream of the translational start of the first ORF is the sequence TATTTT, which resembles the consensus σ70-10 sequence (33), and is 19 bp downstream of the sequence TTGGCA that shares 5 of 6 bases with the corresponding −35 consensus sequence (33). Nucleotides 4456 to 4654 following the third ORF exhibit the sequence of a putative three-hairpin stem-loop structure (ΔG=−40.2) that could permit a strong mRNA transcriptional terminator. The single putative promoter and transcription terminator and the close location and orientation of the ORFs suggest that they may represent an operon.

Analysis of the Deduced Products of the ORFs

The translated amino acid sequence for genes in pAK2 was compared with databases using the FASTA, FASTDB, and BLAST network services of the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The deduced product from the first complete ORF showed significant homology throughout the translated amino acid sequence (48.3% identity and 66.5% similarity) with the glucose inhibited division protein, encoded by gidA in E. coli (9,36,43), H. influenzae (47.1% identity and 67.5% similarity) (18) (FIG. 3A), Pseudomonas putida (28) (47.9% identity and 68.9% similarity), and Bacillus subtilis (27,28) (46.1% identity and 64.4% similarity). The putative product of the second ORF showed significant homology (37.9% identity and 61.0% similarity) with N-Succinyl-L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (encoded by dapE) of E. coli (7,45) (FIG. 3B) and H. influenzae (18) (39.1% identity and 58.8% similarity) (FIG. 3B). There was no substantial overall homology between the products of the other complete or the two incomplete ORFs and other known sequences. These genes are tentatively identified as orf1, orf2, and orf3, as shown in FIG. 1.

Conservation of gidA, dapE, and orf2 among H. pylori Strains

To determine whether other H. pylori strains possess sequences homologous to gidA, dapE, or orf2, 21 strains (10 cagA⁺ and 11 cagA⁻ strains) were studied by colony hybridization, using PCR-amplified gidA, dapE, and orf2 specific fragments. A positive signal was obtained from each of these strains, indicating that these genes are conserved in H. pylori, despite other genotypic variations.

Characterization of a dapE Mutant

To create a dapE mutant, H. pylori strain 60190 was transformed with pMAK36 (dapE:km), and plated transformants on kanamycin-containing medium including 1 mM DAP. Southern and PCR analysis of the kanamycin-resistant transformants indicated that the km cassette was stably incorporated into the single chromosomal dapE gene creating a dapE mutant. However, in repeated experiments, transformation of H. pylori with pMAK36 (dapE:km) on plates lacking DAP did not yield any transformants (Table 2). Similarly, the dapE⁻ mutants obtained on DAP-containing plates were unable to grow when re-plated on TSA agar or Brucella agar with 5% FCS without the addition of DAP. Transformation of H. pylori with pCTB8:vacA:km yielded a similar number of transformants whether or not DAP was present in the selective media and served as a positive control. The minimum DAP concentration required for survival of the dapE⁻ mutant was found to be 0.2 mM (Table 3). The dapE⁻ mutant was unable to grow on media supplemented with lysine only (Table 2), emphasizing the specific DAP requirement of H. pylori for growth and/or survival.

TABLE 2 Growth of wild type and mutant H. pylori strains on brucella agar in the presence or absence of DAP Medium^(a) DAP (1) DAP (+)^(b) DAP (−) Strain lysine (−) lysine (−) lysine (+)^(c) 60190 − − − 60190 vacA:km + + + 60190 dapE:km − + − 60190 orf2:km + + + ^(a)Brucella broth with 1.5% agar supplemented with 5% FCS and 30 ug/ml kanamycin ^(b)Additionally supplemented with 1 mM DAP in medium ^(c)Additionally supplemented with 1 mM lysine in medium

TABLE 3 Minimum concentration of DAP required for growth of the dapE- H. pylori mutant 2 1.5 1 0.5 0.2 0.1 0 DAP^(a) mM mM mM mM mM mM mM 60190 − − − − − − − 60190 dapE:km^(b) 1 + + + + + − − 2 + + + + + + − 3 + + + + + + − 60190 vacA:km² 1 + + + + + + + 2 + + + + + + + 3 + + + + + + + ^(a)DAP concentration in Brucella broth with 1.5% agar supplemented with 5% FCS and 30 ug/ml kanamycin ^(b)3 mutant strains were tested ^(c)3 mutant strains were tested

Characterization of an H. pylori Mutant Lacking orf2

The orf2 ORF begins only 80 bp downstream from dapE and lacks its own consensus promoter, suggesting that these genes could be co-transcribed and their products could be functionally related. To test this hypothesis, orf2 was disrupted by insertional mutagenesis, and demonstrated the authenticity of H. pylori mutant 60190 orf2:km by Southern hybridization and PCR. However, the orf2⁻ mutant was found to grow well with or without exogenous DAP in the growth medium (Table 2), demonstrating that orf2 is not required in the metabolic pathway leading to DAP formation.

Evidence that Mutation of gidA is Lethal in H. pylori

The dapE open reading frame is separated by only 10 bp from gidA, suggesting co-transcription and a functional relationship between these two genes. To determine whether the gidA product in H. pylori is associated with dapE synthesis, an attempt was made to insertionally inactivate gidA. However, efforts to inactivate gidA by transforming H. pylori strain 60190 with pAK2:gidA:km were unsuccessful. No transformants were observed even on media supplemented with DAP (or lysine), while parallel transformations that led to the inactivation of dapE or vacA yielded more than 100 transformants for each. Since these data suggested that interruption of gidA was lethal for H. pylori, PCR was performed to determine whether insertion of the kanamycin cassette within gidA had occurred to transiently create 60190 gidA:km, but this organism was not viable. As a positive control, wild type strain 60190 was incubated in parallel with pCTB8:vacA:km to create an insertion in vacA.

Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed on of PCR-amplified products from DNA isolated from wild type strain 60190 after overnight incubation and transformation with or without specified plasmid. All PCRs used a forward primer specific for km (primer 10 in FIG. 1 and Table 1). The reverse primer was either specific for a region of the H. pylori chromosome not included in the fragment cloned in pAK2 (primer 8 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) or was specific for vacA (primer 17 in Table 1) as a control. Lane 1: Template isolated from DNA strain 60190 after overnight incubation with pAK2:gidA:km, and primers 10 and 8. Lane 2: Template DNA isolated from strain 60190, and primers 10 and 8. Lane 3: Template is a mixture of DNA from strain 60190 and pAK2:gidA:km, and primers 10 and 8. Lane 4: Template: DNA from strain 60190 after overnight incubation with pCTB8:vacA:km, and primers 10 and 17.

When the forward km primer (primer 10 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) and reverse vacA primer (primer 17 in Table 1) were used, a 3.1 kb band was amplified, as expected. Using a forward km primer (primer 10) and a reverse primer (primer 8 in FIG. 1 and Table 1) that is not present in pAK2 (FIG. 1), a 4.2 kb band was amplified in DNA isolated from wild type strain 60190 that had been incubated overnight with pAK2:gidA:km. No band was present in DNA from wild type strain 60190 alone, or if 60190 DNA was mixed with pAK2:gidA:km in the absence of H. pylori cells.

These results indicate that homologous recombination had occurred between the chromosomal DNA of the wild type strain 60190 and pAK2:gidA:km leading to km insertion within gidA, and provided further evidence that this transformation event was lethal to H. pylori.

RT-PCR and Slot-blot Analysis

To ascertain whether gidA, dapE, and orf2 are co-transcribed, RNA was extracted for analysis from wild type H. pylori strain 60190 and its dapE⁻ and orf2⁻ mutants. Reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) of cDNA template was performed with a pair of primers bridging the gidA and dapE ORFs (primers 13 and 14, Table 1).

A 0.35 kb product was detected for each strain, as expected. In RT-PCR using primers bridging the dapE-orf2 ORFs (primers 15 and 16), no product was detected in the dapE mutant, as expected, but both the wild type strain and the orf2 mutant showed a product of the expected size (0.4 kb). Negative-control PCR using RNA as template showed no products. As expected, the positive control cagA probe hybridized with equal intensity to the wild type strain and its dapE and orf2 mutants. The gidA probe hybridized to RNA with similar intensity for the wild type strain and its dapE⁻ and orf2⁻ mutants. The dapE probe hybridized equally well to wild type and orf2⁻ mutant RNA, and less well to its dapE⁻ mutant. The orf2 probe hybridized well to RNA in the wild type strain, but only weakly to RNA from the dapE and orf2 mutants. The results of both sets of experiments indicate that orf2 can be co-transcribed with dapE.

The results in this study suggest that the ability of H. pylori to synthesize DAP is based only on the succinylase pathway, or that its synthesis via the dehydrogenase and/or acetylase pathways is too low to allow for survival.

The gidA, dapE, and orf2 ORFs are closely spaced and oppositely oriented to the flanking genes (FIG. 1), suggesting that they form an operon. A sequence bearing strong homology to the σ⁷⁰ promoter is present 5′ to gidA, but no promoter-like elements were observed upstream of dapE and orf2. The presence of a strong putative transcriptional terminator downstream of orf2 also is consistent with the notion that these 3 genes form an operon, and RT-PCR and slot blot data indicate that dapE and orf2 may be co-transcribed. The presence of another putative transcriptional terminator, an 80-nucleotide palindromic sequence (DG=−2.9), beginning at nucleotide 3623 to 3702 in the intergenic region between dapE and orf2, may, under certain conditions, allow for transcription of gidA and dapE without orf2.

The dapE ORF is separated by only 10 bp from gidA. In E. coli, gidA lies near the origin of replication (oriC) (29); inactivation of gidA by transposon insertion reduces the E. coli growth rate by 20% and causes filamentation of cells in media containing glucose (41, 42). However, in H. pylori, the arrangement of gidA and dapE in the same operon suggests that the products of these two genes could be functionally related. However, the inability of DAP or lysine supplementation to permit gidA mutants to survive suggests that its critical activity does not involve the DAP/lysine pathway.

The presence of orf2 80 bp downstream from dapE, with no unique promoter sequence, suggests that these two genes may be co-transcribed and that their protein products may be functionally related. RT-PCR and slot-blot results support this hypothesis, since orf2 RNA was not transcribed in the dapE⁻ mutant. That the orf2⁻ mutant strain grew normally without exogenous DAP indicates that the orf2 product is not required for DAP biosynthesis.

The observations made in this study suggest that the enzymes involved in DAP biosynthesis represent targets for the development of novel agents against H. pylori (3,4,20,21). DAP biosynthetic genes also may be used to stabilize shuttle plasmids for use in H. pylori in the absence of antibiotic markers (25). If H. pylori strains carrying mutations in DAP biosynthesis genes can be constructed, plasmids carrying the respective complementing gene could be maintained. Such plasmids may lead to the ability to stably maintain recombinant DNA in humans for the expression of H. pylori or heterologous antigens, and may provide tools in the investigation of H. pylori pathogenesis as well as for the development of new anti-H. pylori agents.

These results also suggest that co-administration of H. pylori dapE⁻ mutant strains with a DAP supplement may serve as an immunization strategy. After sufficient time for evoking an immune response directed at this H. pylori strain, cessation of DAP supplementation would lead to its death. Ideally, optimal timing of supplementation could result in the establishment of long-term immunity to H. pylori or to heterologous antigens delivered by this superb mucosal colonizer.

Throughout this application various publications are referenced by numbers within parentheses. Full citations for these publications are as follows. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.

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34. Schrumpf, B., A. Schwarzer, J. Kalinowski, A. Puhler, L. Eggeling, and H. Sahm. 1991. A functionally split pathway for lysine synthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum. J. Bacteriol. 173:4510-4516.

35. Stragier, P., O. Danos, and J. C. Patte. 1983. Regulation of diaminopimelate decarboxylase synthesis in Escherichia coli III. Nucleotide sequence of the lysA gene and its regulatory region. J. Mol. Biol. 168:321-331.

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30 1 1866 DNA Artificial Sequence CDS (1)...(1863) Description of Artificial Sequence/ Note = synthetic construct 1 gtg gta aaa gaa agt gat att tta gtg att ggt ggg ggg cat gcg ggc 48 Val Val Lys Glu Ser Asp Ile Leu Val Ile Gly Gly Gly His Ala Gly 1 5 10 15 att gaa gcg agc ttg att gca gcc aaa atg ggg gct agg gtg cat tta 96 Ile Glu Ala Ser Leu Ile Ala Ala Lys Met Gly Ala Arg Val His Leu 20 25 30 atc acc atg ctc ata gac acg atc ggt tta gcg agc tgt aac ccg gcg 144 Ile Thr Met Leu Ile Asp Thr Ile Gly Leu Ala Ser Cys Asn Pro Ala 35 40 45 att ggg ggc ttg ggt aaa ggg cat ttg act aaa gaa gtg gat gtt tta 192 Ile Gly Gly Leu Gly Lys Gly His Leu Thr Lys Glu Val Asp Val Leu 50 55 60 ggg ggg gct atg ggg att att aca gat cat agc ggt ttg caa tat cgt 240 Gly Gly Ala Met Gly Ile Ile Thr Asp His Ser Gly Leu Gln Tyr Arg 65 70 75 80 gtg tta aac gct tct aaa ggg ccg gcg gtt agg ggg act aga gcg caa 288 Val Leu Asn Ala Ser Lys Gly Pro Ala Val Arg Gly Thr Arg Ala Gln 85 90 95 att gat atg gat act tac cgc att ttt gca aga aat ctt gtt tta aac 336 Ile Asp Met Asp Thr Tyr Arg Ile Phe Ala Arg Asn Leu Val Leu Asn 100 105 110 acc cct aat ttg agc gtc tct caa gaa atg acc gaa agt tta atc ctt 384 Thr Pro Asn Leu Ser Val Ser Gln Glu Met Thr Glu Ser Leu Ile Leu 115 120 125 gaa aac gat gag gta gtg ggc gta acc acg aac att aat aac act tac 432 Glu Asn Asp Glu Val Val Gly Val Thr Thr Asn Ile Asn Asn Thr Tyr 130 135 140 aga gct aaa aaa gtg atc atc acc aca ggc act ttt tta aaa ggg gtg 480 Arg Ala Lys Lys Val Ile Ile Thr Thr Gly Thr Phe Leu Lys Gly Val 145 150 155 160 gtg cat att ggc gag cac caa aac caa aac ggg cgt ttt ggg gaa aac 528 Val His Ile Gly Glu His Gln Asn Gln Asn Gly Arg Phe Gly Glu Asn 165 170 175 gct tcc aat tct tta gcc ttg aat tta agg gag ctt ggc ttt aag gtg 576 Ala Ser Asn Ser Leu Ala Leu Asn Leu Arg Glu Leu Gly Phe Lys Val 180 185 190 gag agg tta aaa acc ggc act tgc cca aga gtg gcc ggc aat agc att 624 Glu Arg Leu Lys Thr Gly Thr Cys Pro Arg Val Ala Gly Asn Ser Ile 195 200 205 gat ttt gaa ggc tta gaa gag cat ttt ggg gat gca aac cct ccc tat 672 Asp Phe Glu Gly Leu Glu Glu His Phe Gly Asp Ala Asn Pro Pro Tyr 210 215 220 ttc agc tat aaa acc aaa gat ttt aac ccc acc caa ctc tct tgt ttc 720 Phe Ser Tyr Lys Thr Lys Asp Phe Asn Pro Thr Gln Leu Ser Cys Phe 225 230 235 240 atc act tac act aac ccc att acc cac caa atc att agg gat aat ttc 768 Ile Thr Tyr Thr Asn Pro Ile Thr His Gln Ile Ile Arg Asp Asn Phe 245 250 255 cac cga gct ccc ctt ttt agc ggt caa att gaa ggc ata ggc cca agg 816 His Arg Ala Pro Leu Phe Ser Gly Gln Ile Glu Gly Ile Gly Pro Arg 260 265 270 tat tgc cct agc att gaa gat aaa atc aac cgc ttt agt gaa aaa gaa 864 Tyr Cys Pro Ser Ile Glu Asp Lys Ile Asn Arg Phe Ser Glu Lys Glu 275 280 285 cgc cac cag ctg ttt tta gag cct caa acc att cat aaa aac gaa tat 912 Arg His Gln Leu Phe Leu Glu Pro Gln Thr Ile His Lys Asn Glu Tyr 290 295 300 tat atc aac ggc tta agc acc tct ttg ccc cta gat gtg caa gaa aag 960 Tyr Ile Asn Gly Leu Ser Thr Ser Leu Pro Leu Asp Val Gln Glu Lys 305 310 315 320 gtc att cat tct atc aaa ggc tta gaa aac gcc ctc atc acg cgc tat 1008 Val Ile His Ser Ile Lys Gly Leu Glu Asn Ala Leu Ile Thr Arg Tyr 325 330 335 ggc tat gcg ata gag tat gat ttc atc cag cct aca gaa tta acc cac 1056 Gly Tyr Ala Ile Glu Tyr Asp Phe Ile Gln Pro Thr Glu Leu Thr His 340 345 350 gct tta gaa acc aaa aaa atc aaa ggg ctt tat ttg gcc ggg caa atc 1104 Ala Leu Glu Thr Lys Lys Ile Lys Gly Leu Tyr Leu Ala Gly Gln Ile 355 360 365 aat ggg act acc ggc tat gaa gaa gcg gcg gat caa ggg ctt atg gct 1152 Asn Gly Thr Thr Gly Tyr Glu Glu Ala Ala Asp Gln Gly Leu Met Ala 370 375 380 ggg att aat gcg gta tta gcc tta aag aat caa gcc ccc ttt att tta 1200 Gly Ile Asn Ala Val Leu Ala Leu Lys Asn Gln Ala Pro Phe Ile Leu 385 390 395 400 aag cgc aat gaa gct tat att ggc gtt ttg att gat gat ttg gtt act 1248 Lys Arg Asn Glu Ala Tyr Ile Gly Val Leu Ile Asp Asp Leu Val Thr 405 410 415 aaa ggc acg aat gag cct tac aga atg ttt act agc cga gcc gaa tac 1296 Lys Gly Thr Asn Glu Pro Tyr Arg Met Phe Thr Ser Arg Ala Glu Tyr 420 425 430 cgc ttg ctt tta aga gag gac aac acg ctt ttt agg ttg ggc gaa cat 1344 Arg Leu Leu Leu Arg Glu Asp Asn Thr Leu Phe Arg Leu Gly Glu His 435 440 445 gcc tat cgt tta ggg ctt atg gaa cag gat ttt tat aag gaa tta aaa 1392 Ala Tyr Arg Leu Gly Leu Met Glu Gln Asp Phe Tyr Lys Glu Leu Lys 450 455 460 aaa gat aaa caa gag ata caa gac aat ctc aaa cgc ctt aaa gaa tgc 1440 Lys Asp Lys Gln Glu Ile Gln Asp Asn Leu Lys Arg Leu Lys Glu Cys 465 470 475 480 gtc ctt acc cct agt aaa aaa ttg tta aaa cgc ttg aac gaa tta gac 1488 Val Leu Thr Pro Ser Lys Lys Leu Leu Lys Arg Leu Asn Glu Leu Asp 485 490 495 gaa aac cct atc aat gac aag gtt aat ggc gtt agt ttg tta gca cgc 1536 Glu Asn Pro Ile Asn Asp Lys Val Asn Gly Val Ser Leu Leu Ala Arg 500 505 510 gat agt ttt aat gca gaa aaa atg cgc tcc ttt ttc agc ttt tta gcc 1584 Asp Ser Phe Asn Ala Glu Lys Met Arg Ser Phe Phe Ser Phe Leu Ala 515 520 525 ccc ttg aac gag cgg gtt tta gag cag att aaa att gaa tgc aaa tat 1632 Pro Leu Asn Glu Arg Val Leu Glu Gln Ile Lys Ile Glu Cys Lys Tyr 530 535 540 aat att tat att gaa aag caa cac gaa aat atc gct aaa atg gat agc 1680 Asn Ile Tyr Ile Glu Lys Gln His Glu Asn Ile Ala Lys Met Asp Ser 545 550 555 560 atg ctc aaa gtt tct atc cct aaa ggt ttt gtg ttt aaa ggc att cca 1728 Met Leu Lys Val Ser Ile Pro Lys Gly Phe Val Phe Lys Gly Ile Pro 565 570 575 ggc tta agc tta gaa gcg gta gaa aaa tta gaa aaa ttc cgc ccc aaa 1776 Gly Leu Ser Leu Glu Ala Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Phe Arg Pro Lys 580 585 590 agc ctt ttt gaa gcc tca gaa atc agc ggg atc act cca gcg aat tta 1824 Ser Leu Phe Glu Ala Ser Glu Ile Ser Gly Ile Thr Pro Ala Asn Leu 595 600 605 gac gtt ttg cat tta tac atc cat ttg cga aaa aac tct taa 1866 Asp Val Leu His Leu Tyr Ile His Leu Arg Lys Asn Ser 610 615 620 2 621 PRT Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 2 Val Val Lys Glu Ser Asp Ile Leu Val Ile Gly Gly Gly His Ala Gly 1 5 10 15 Ile Glu Ala Ser Leu Ile Ala Ala Lys Met Gly Ala Arg Val His Leu 20 25 30 Ile Thr Met Leu Ile Asp Thr Ile Gly Leu Ala Ser Cys Asn Pro Ala 35 40 45 Ile Gly Gly Leu Gly Lys Gly His Leu Thr Lys Glu Val Asp Val Leu 50 55 60 Gly Gly Ala Met Gly Ile Ile Thr Asp His Ser Gly Leu Gln Tyr Arg 65 70 75 80 Val Leu Asn Ala Ser Lys Gly Pro Ala Val Arg Gly Thr Arg Ala Gln 85 90 95 Ile Asp Met Asp Thr Tyr Arg Ile Phe Ala Arg Asn Leu Val Leu Asn 100 105 110 Thr Pro Asn Leu Ser Val Ser Gln Glu Met Thr Glu Ser Leu Ile Leu 115 120 125 Glu Asn Asp Glu Val Val Gly Val Thr Thr Asn Ile Asn Asn Thr Tyr 130 135 140 Arg Ala Lys Lys Val Ile Ile Thr Thr Gly Thr Phe Leu Lys Gly Val 145 150 155 160 Val His Ile Gly Glu His Gln Asn Gln Asn Gly Arg Phe Gly Glu Asn 165 170 175 Ala Ser Asn Ser Leu Ala Leu Asn Leu Arg Glu Leu Gly Phe Lys Val 180 185 190 Glu Arg Leu Lys Thr Gly Thr Cys Pro Arg Val Ala Gly Asn Ser Ile 195 200 205 Asp Phe Glu Gly Leu Glu Glu His Phe Gly Asp Ala Asn Pro Pro Tyr 210 215 220 Phe Ser Tyr Lys Thr Lys Asp Phe Asn Pro Thr Gln Leu Ser Cys Phe 225 230 235 240 Ile Thr Tyr Thr Asn Pro Ile Thr His Gln Ile Ile Arg Asp Asn Phe 245 250 255 His Arg Ala Pro Leu Phe Ser Gly Gln Ile Glu Gly Ile Gly Pro Arg 260 265 270 Tyr Cys Pro Ser Ile Glu Asp Lys Ile Asn Arg Phe Ser Glu Lys Glu 275 280 285 Arg His Gln Leu Phe Leu Glu Pro Gln Thr Ile His Lys Asn Glu Tyr 290 295 300 Tyr Ile Asn Gly Leu Ser Thr Ser Leu Pro Leu Asp Val Gln Glu Lys 305 310 315 320 Val Ile His Ser Ile Lys Gly Leu Glu Asn Ala Leu Ile Thr Arg Tyr 325 330 335 Gly Tyr Ala Ile Glu Tyr Asp Phe Ile Gln Pro Thr Glu Leu Thr His 340 345 350 Ala Leu Glu Thr Lys Lys Ile Lys Gly Leu Tyr Leu Ala Gly Gln Ile 355 360 365 Asn Gly Thr Thr Gly Tyr Glu Glu Ala Ala Asp Gln Gly Leu Met Ala 370 375 380 Gly Ile Asn Ala Val Leu Ala Leu Lys Asn Gln Ala Pro Phe Ile Leu 385 390 395 400 Lys Arg Asn Glu Ala Tyr Ile Gly Val Leu Ile Asp Asp Leu Val Thr 405 410 415 Lys Gly Thr Asn Glu Pro Tyr Arg Met Phe Thr Ser Arg Ala Glu Tyr 420 425 430 Arg Leu Leu Leu Arg Glu Asp Asn Thr Leu Phe Arg Leu Gly Glu His 435 440 445 Ala Tyr Arg Leu Gly Leu Met Glu Gln Asp Phe Tyr Lys Glu Leu Lys 450 455 460 Lys Asp Lys Gln Glu Ile Gln Asp Asn Leu Lys Arg Leu Lys Glu Cys 465 470 475 480 Val Leu Thr Pro Ser Lys Lys Leu Leu Lys Arg Leu Asn Glu Leu Asp 485 490 495 Glu Asn Pro Ile Asn Asp Lys Val Asn Gly Val Ser Leu Leu Ala Arg 500 505 510 Asp Ser Phe Asn Ala Glu Lys Met Arg Ser Phe Phe Ser Phe Leu Ala 515 520 525 Pro Leu Asn Glu Arg Val Leu Glu Gln Ile Lys Ile Glu Cys Lys Tyr 530 535 540 Asn Ile Tyr Ile Glu Lys Gln His Glu Asn Ile Ala Lys Met Asp Ser 545 550 555 560 Met Leu Lys Val Ser Ile Pro Lys Gly Phe Val Phe Lys Gly Ile Pro 565 570 575 Gly Leu Ser Leu Glu Ala Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Phe Arg Pro Lys 580 585 590 Ser Leu Phe Glu Ala Ser Glu Ile Ser Gly Ile Thr Pro Ala Asn Leu 595 600 605 Asp Val Leu His Leu Tyr Ile His Leu Arg Lys Asn Ser 610 615 620 3 1167 DNA Artificial Sequence CDS (1)...(1164) Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 3 atg aac gct tta gaa atc acc caa aag ctc atc agc tac ccc acc att 48 Met Asn Ala Leu Glu Ile Thr Gln Lys Leu Ile Ser Tyr Pro Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 acg ccc aaa gaa tgc ggt att ttt gaa tac att aaa tcg ctt ttt cct 96 Thr Pro Lys Glu Cys Gly Ile Phe Glu Tyr Ile Lys Ser Leu Phe Pro 20 25 30 gct ttt aaa aca cta gag tgt gga gaa aat ggc gtg aaa aac ctt ttt 144 Ala Phe Lys Thr Leu Glu Cys Gly Glu Asn Gly Val Lys Asn Leu Phe 35 40 45 tta tac cgc att ttt aac ccc ccc aaa gag cat gca gaa aaa gaa cat 192 Leu Tyr Arg Ile Phe Asn Pro Pro Lys Glu His Ala Glu Lys Glu His 50 55 60 gca aaa gaa aag cat gca aaa gaa aat gtt aag ccc ttg cat ttt tct 240 Ala Lys Glu Lys His Ala Lys Glu Asn Val Lys Pro Leu His Phe Ser 65 70 75 80 ttt gca ggg cat att gat gtc gtg cct cct gga gat aat tgg caa agc 288 Phe Ala Gly His Ile Asp Val Val Pro Pro Gly Asp Asn Trp Gln Ser 85 90 95 gat ccc ttt aaa ccc atc att aaa gag ggg ttt tta tac ggc cgt ggg 336 Asp Pro Phe Lys Pro Ile Ile Lys Glu Gly Phe Leu Tyr Gly Arg Gly 100 105 110 gcg caa gac atg aaa ggg ggc gtg ggg gcg ttt ttg agc gcg agt tta 384 Ala Gln Asp Met Lys Gly Gly Val Gly Ala Phe Leu Ser Ala Ser Leu 115 120 125 aat ttt aac cct aaa acc cct ttt ttg ctt tct att tta ctc acg agc 432 Asn Phe Asn Pro Lys Thr Pro Phe Leu Leu Ser Ile Leu Leu Thr Ser 130 135 140 gat gaa gaa ggg cca ggg att ttt ggc aca aaa ctc atg cta gaa aaa 480 Asp Glu Glu Gly Pro Gly Ile Phe Gly Thr Lys Leu Met Leu Glu Lys 145 150 155 160 ctc aaa gaa aaa gat tta ttg ccc cat atg gcg att gtg gct gaa ccc 528 Leu Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Leu Pro His Met Ala Ile Val Ala Glu Pro 165 170 175 act tgc gaa aaa gtc tta ggc gat agc atc aaa att ggt cga aga ggt 576 Thr Cys Glu Lys Val Leu Gly Asp Ser Ile Lys Ile Gly Arg Arg Gly 180 185 190 tcc att aat ggc aga ctc att tta aaa ggc gtt caa ggg cat gtg gct 624 Ser Ile Asn Gly Arg Leu Ile Leu Lys Gly Val Gln Gly His Val Ala 195 200 205 tac cca caa aaa tgc caa aac ccc att gat acg ctc gct tct gtt ttg 672 Tyr Pro Gln Lys Cys Gln Asn Pro Ile Asp Thr Leu Ala Ser Val Leu 210 215 220 cct tca att tca gga gtc cat tta gac gat ggc gat gaa tat ttt gac 720 Pro Ser Ile Ser Gly Val His Leu Asp Asp Gly Asp Glu Tyr Phe Asp 225 230 235 240 cct tca aaa ttg gtt gtc acc aac ttg cat gca ggg tta ggg gct aat 768 Pro Ser Lys Leu Val Val Thr Asn Leu His Ala Gly Leu Gly Ala Asn 245 250 255 aat gtg act cca ggg agc gta gaa att acc ttt aat gcg cgc cat tct 816 Asn Val Thr Pro Gly Ser Val Glu Ile Thr Phe Asn Ala Arg His Ser 260 265 270 tta aaa acc acc aaa gag agt ttg aaa gaa tat tta gaa aaa gtt tta 864 Leu Lys Thr Thr Lys Glu Ser Leu Lys Glu Tyr Leu Glu Lys Val Leu 275 280 285 aaa gat ttg cct cac act tta gaa tta gag tca agc agt tcg cct ttc 912 Lys Asp Leu Pro His Thr Leu Glu Leu Glu Ser Ser Ser Ser Pro Phe 290 295 300 atc acg gct tct cat tca aag ctt acc agc gtt tta aaa gaa aat att 960 Ile Thr Ala Ser His Ser Lys Leu Thr Ser Val Leu Lys Glu Asn Ile 305 310 315 320 tta aaa aca tgc cgc acc acc ccc ctt tta aac acc aaa ggc ggc acg 1008 Leu Lys Thr Cys Arg Thr Thr Pro Leu Leu Asn Thr Lys Gly Gly Thr 325 330 335 agc gat gcg cga ttt ttt agc gct cat ggt ata gaa gtg gtg gag ttt 1056 Ser Asp Ala Arg Phe Phe Ser Ala His Gly Ile Glu Val Val Glu Phe 340 345 350 ggc gtt att aat gac agg atc cat gcc att gat gaa agg gtg agc ttg 1104 Gly Val Ile Asn Asp Arg Ile His Ala Ile Asp Glu Arg Val Ser Leu 355 360 365 aaa gaa tta gag ctt tta gaa aaa gtg ttt ttg ggg gtt tta gag ggc 1152 Lys Glu Leu Glu Leu Leu Glu Lys Val Phe Leu Gly Val Leu Glu Gly 370 375 380 ttg agt gag gca taa 1167 Leu Ser Glu Ala 385 4 388 PRT Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 4 Met Asn Ala Leu Glu Ile Thr Gln Lys Leu Ile Ser Tyr Pro Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 Thr Pro Lys Glu Cys Gly Ile Phe Glu Tyr Ile Lys Ser Leu Phe Pro 20 25 30 Ala Phe Lys Thr Leu Glu Cys Gly Glu Asn Gly Val Lys Asn Leu Phe 35 40 45 Leu Tyr Arg Ile Phe Asn Pro Pro Lys Glu His Ala Glu Lys Glu His 50 55 60 Ala Lys Glu Lys His Ala Lys Glu Asn Val Lys Pro Leu His Phe Ser 65 70 75 80 Phe Ala Gly His Ile Asp Val Val Pro Pro Gly Asp Asn Trp Gln Ser 85 90 95 Asp Pro Phe Lys Pro Ile Ile Lys Glu Gly Phe Leu Tyr Gly Arg Gly 100 105 110 Ala Gln Asp Met Lys Gly Gly Val Gly Ala Phe Leu Ser Ala Ser Leu 115 120 125 Asn Phe Asn Pro Lys Thr Pro Phe Leu Leu Ser Ile Leu Leu Thr Ser 130 135 140 Asp Glu Glu Gly Pro Gly Ile Phe Gly Thr Lys Leu Met Leu Glu Lys 145 150 155 160 Leu Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Leu Pro His Met Ala Ile Val Ala Glu Pro 165 170 175 Thr Cys Glu Lys Val Leu Gly Asp Ser Ile Lys Ile Gly Arg Arg Gly 180 185 190 Ser Ile Asn Gly Arg Leu Ile Leu Lys Gly Val Gln Gly His Val Ala 195 200 205 Tyr Pro Gln Lys Cys Gln Asn Pro Ile Asp Thr Leu Ala Ser Val Leu 210 215 220 Pro Ser Ile Ser Gly Val His Leu Asp Asp Gly Asp Glu Tyr Phe Asp 225 230 235 240 Pro Ser Lys Leu Val Val Thr Asn Leu His Ala Gly Leu Gly Ala Asn 245 250 255 Asn Val Thr Pro Gly Ser Val Glu Ile Thr Phe Asn Ala Arg His Ser 260 265 270 Leu Lys Thr Thr Lys Glu Ser Leu Lys Glu Tyr Leu Glu Lys Val Leu 275 280 285 Lys Asp Leu Pro His Thr Leu Glu Leu Glu Ser Ser Ser Ser Pro Phe 290 295 300 Ile Thr Ala Ser His Ser Lys Leu Thr Ser Val Leu Lys Glu Asn Ile 305 310 315 320 Leu Lys Thr Cys Arg Thr Thr Pro Leu Leu Asn Thr Lys Gly Gly Thr 325 330 335 Ser Asp Ala Arg Phe Phe Ser Ala His Gly Ile Glu Val Val Glu Phe 340 345 350 Gly Val Ile Asn Asp Arg Ile His Ala Ile Asp Glu Arg Val Ser Leu 355 360 365 Lys Glu Leu Glu Leu Leu Glu Lys Val Phe Leu Gly Val Leu Glu Gly 370 375 380 Leu Ser Glu Ala 385 5 753 DNA Artificial Sequence CDS (1)...(750) Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 5 atg cta gga agc gtt aaa aaa acc ttt ttt tgg gtc ttg tgt ttg ggc 48 Met Leu Gly Ser Val Lys Lys Thr Phe Phe Trp Val Leu Cys Leu Gly 1 5 10 15 gcg ttg tgt tta aga ggg tta atg gca gag cca gac gct aaa gag ctt 96 Ala Leu Cys Leu Arg Gly Leu Met Ala Glu Pro Asp Ala Lys Glu Leu 20 25 30 gtt aat tta ggc ata gag agc gcg aag aag caa gat ttc gct caa gct 144 Val Asn Leu Gly Ile Glu Ser Ala Lys Lys Gln Asp Phe Ala Gln Ala 35 40 45 aaa acg cat ttt gaa aaa gct tgt gag tta aaa aat ggc ttt ggg tgt 192 Lys Thr His Phe Glu Lys Ala Cys Glu Leu Lys Asn Gly Phe Gly Cys 50 55 60 gtt ttt tta ggg gcg ttc tat gaa gaa ggg aaa gga gtg gga aaa gac 240 Val Phe Leu Gly Ala Phe Tyr Glu Glu Gly Lys Gly Val Gly Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 ttg aaa aaa gcc atc cag ttt tac act aaa agt tgt gaa tta aat gat 288 Leu Lys Lys Ala Ile Gln Phe Tyr Thr Lys Ser Cys Glu Leu Asn Asp 85 90 95 ggt tat ggg tgc aac ctg cta gga aat tta tac tat aac gga caa ggc 336 Gly Tyr Gly Cys Asn Leu Leu Gly Asn Leu Tyr Tyr Asn Gly Gln Gly 100 105 110 gta tct aaa gac gct aaa aaa gcc tca caa tac tac tct aaa gct tgc 384 Val Ser Lys Asp Ala Lys Lys Ala Ser Gln Tyr Tyr Ser Lys Ala Cys 115 120 125 gac tta aac cat gct gaa ggg tgt atg gta tta gga agc tta cac cat 432 Asp Leu Asn His Ala Glu Gly Cys Met Val Leu Gly Ser Leu His His 130 135 140 tat ggc gta ggc acg cct aag gat tta aga aag gct ctt gat ttg tat 480 Tyr Gly Val Gly Thr Pro Lys Asp Leu Arg Lys Ala Leu Asp Leu Tyr 145 150 155 160 gaa aaa gct tgc gat tta aaa gac agc cca ggg tgt att aat gca gga 528 Glu Lys Ala Cys Asp Leu Lys Asp Ser Pro Gly Cys Ile Asn Ala Gly 165 170 175 tat ata tat agt gta aca aag aat ttt aag gag gct atc gtt cgt tat 576 Tyr Ile Tyr Ser Val Thr Lys Asn Phe Lys Glu Ala Ile Val Arg Tyr 180 185 190 tct caa gca tgc gag ttg aac gat ggt agg ggg tgt tat aat tta ggg 624 Ser Gln Ala Cys Glu Leu Asn Asp Gly Arg Gly Cys Tyr Asn Leu Gly 195 200 205 gtt atg caa tac aac gct caa ggc aca gca aaa gac gaa aag caa gcg 672 Val Met Gln Tyr Asn Ala Gln Gly Thr Ala Lys Asp Glu Lys Gln Ala 210 215 220 gta gaa aac ttt aaa aaa ggt tgc aaa tca ggc gtt aaa gaa gca tgc 720 Val Glu Asn Phe Lys Lys Gly Cys Lys Ser Gly Val Lys Glu Ala Cys 225 230 235 240 gac gct ctc aag gaa ttg aaa ata gaa ctt tag 753 Asp Ala Leu Lys Glu Leu Lys Ile Glu Leu 245 250 6 250 PRT Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 6 Met Leu Gly Ser Val Lys Lys Thr Phe Phe Trp Val Leu Cys Leu Gly 1 5 10 15 Ala Leu Cys Leu Arg Gly Leu Met Ala Glu Pro Asp Ala Lys Glu Leu 20 25 30 Val Asn Leu Gly Ile Glu Ser Ala Lys Lys Gln Asp Phe Ala Gln Ala 35 40 45 Lys Thr His Phe Glu Lys Ala Cys Glu Leu Lys Asn Gly Phe Gly Cys 50 55 60 Val Phe Leu Gly Ala Phe Tyr Glu Glu Gly Lys Gly Val Gly Lys Asp 65 70 75 80 Leu Lys Lys Ala Ile Gln Phe Tyr Thr Lys Ser Cys Glu Leu Asn Asp 85 90 95 Gly Tyr Gly Cys Asn Leu Leu Gly Asn Leu Tyr Tyr Asn Gly Gln Gly 100 105 110 Val Ser Lys Asp Ala Lys Lys Ala Ser Gln Tyr Tyr Ser Lys Ala Cys 115 120 125 Asp Leu Asn His Ala Glu Gly Cys Met Val Leu Gly Ser Leu His His 130 135 140 Tyr Gly Val Gly Thr Pro Lys Asp Leu Arg Lys Ala Leu Asp Leu Tyr 145 150 155 160 Glu Lys Ala Cys Asp Leu Lys Asp Ser Pro Gly Cys Ile Asn Ala Gly 165 170 175 Tyr Ile Tyr Ser Val Thr Lys Asn Phe Lys Glu Ala Ile Val Arg Tyr 180 185 190 Ser Gln Ala Cys Glu Leu Asn Asp Gly Arg Gly Cys Tyr Asn Leu Gly 195 200 205 Val Met Gln Tyr Asn Ala Gln Gly Thr Ala Lys Asp Glu Lys Gln Ala 210 215 220 Val Glu Asn Phe Lys Lys Gly Cys Lys Ser Gly Val Lys Glu Ala Cys 225 230 235 240 Asp Ala Leu Lys Glu Leu Lys Ile Glu Leu 245 250 7 5049 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 7 aattccctat catgaaacct aaaatcaatc tcctagggct tgtgcctact agtaaataat 60 gcttaaagcg atgcgcgtgt gcaaattcca tttttgcatg cttaaagcta aaataaaccc 120 tcccataaaa agaaagataa tcggcgatgc gtaagaagag ctgacgctag cgaattgatc 180 cacgctaaag acgctaaaaa gcaccaaagg taaaagcgcg gttgcaggca ggtcaatggt 240 ttctgtcatc caccatatcc ccattaaaac agccacccca gccacaacag gcatcgcctt 300 ataatttaag gaattaagct tggggatttc ttctacaata tgaggcagtt gagaattgag 360 cgcataacag ataataagcg cgattaacac tcctcctatt aaccccaaca agtgcacgat 420 cttagtgctt ttatcatcgg tgcgcgtatc ggtatgcgta ttggcatgcg aatgattttc 480 cattttattt taccctttaa aattactaac ctccatgcta caataaaacg ttttcaaaac 540 taagatttta gaaaaatcat atcaaaacag gaaaaagagt ggtaaaagaa agtgatattt 600 tagtgattgg tggggggcat gcgggcattg aagcgagctt gattgcagcc aaaatggggg 660 ctagggtgca tttaatcacc atgctcatag acacgatcgg tttagcgagc tgtaacccgg 720 cgattggggg cttgggtaaa gggcatttga ctaaagaagt ggatgtttta gggggggcta 780 tggggattat tacagatcat agcggtttgc aatatcgtgt gttaaacgct tctaaagggc 840 cggcggttag ggggactaga gcgcaaattg atatggatac ttaccgcatt tttgcaagaa 900 atcttgtttt aaacacccct aatttgagcg tctctcaaga aatgaccgaa agtttaatcc 960 ttgaaaacga tgaggtagtg ggcgtaacca cgaacattaa taacacttac agagctaaaa 1020 aagtgatcat caccacaggc acttttttaa aaggggtggt gcatattggc gagcaccaaa 1080 accaaaacgg gcgttttggg gaaaacgctt ccaattcttt agccttgaat ttaagggagc 1140 ttggctttaa ggtggagagg ttaaaaaccg gcacttgccc aagagtggcc ggcaatagca 1200 ttgattttga aggcttagaa gagcattttg gggatgcaaa ccctccctat ttcagctata 1260 aaaccaaaga ttttaacccc acccaactct cttgtttcat cacttacact aaccccatta 1320 cccaccaaat cattagggat aatttccacc gagctcccct ttttagcggt caaattgaag 1380 gcataggccc aaggtattgc cctagcattg aagataaaat caaccgcttt agtgaaaaag 1440 aacgccacca gctgttttta gagcctcaaa ccattcataa aaacgaatat tatatcaacg 1500 gcttaagcac ctctttgccc ctagatgtgc aagaaaaggt cattcattct atcaaaggct 1560 tagaaaacgc cctcatcacg cgctatggct atgcgataga gtatgatttc atccagccta 1620 cagaattaac ccacgcttta gaaaccaaaa aaatcaaagg gctttatttg gccgggcaaa 1680 tcaatgggac taccggctat gaagaagcgg cggatcaagg gcttatggct gggattaatg 1740 cggtattagc cttaaagaat caagccccct ttattttaaa gcgcaatgaa gcttatattg 1800 gcgttttgat tgatgatttg gttactaaag gcacgaatga gccttacaga atgtttacta 1860 gccgagccga ataccgcttg cttttaagag aggacaacac gctttttagg ttgggcgaac 1920 atgcctatcg tttagggctt atggaacagg atttttataa ggaattaaaa aaagataaac 1980 aagagataca agacaatctc aaacgcctta aagaatgcgt ccttacccct agtaaaaaat 2040 tgttaaaacg cttgaacgaa ttagacgaaa accctatcaa tgacaaggtt aatggcgtta 2100 gtttgttagc acgcgatagt tttaatgcag aaaaaatgcg ctcctttttc agctttttag 2160 cccccttgaa cgagcgggtt ttagagcaga ttaaaattga atgcaaatat aatatttata 2220 ttgaaaagca acacgaaaat atcgctaaaa tggatagcat gctcaaagtt tctatcccta 2280 aaggttttgt gtttaaaggc attccaggct taagcttaga agcggtagaa aaattagaaa 2340 aattccgccc caaaagcctt tttgaagcct cagaaatcag cgggatcact ccagcgaatt 2400 tagacgtttt gcatttatac atccatttgc gaaaaaactc ttaaaggatt tttaatgaac 2460 gctttagaaa tcacccaaaa gctcatcagc taccccacca ttacgcccaa agaatgcggt 2520 atttttgaat acattaaatc gctttttcct gcttttaaaa cactagagtg tggagaaaat 2580 ggcgtgaaaa accttttttt ataccgcatt tttaaccccc ccaaagagca tgcagaaaaa 2640 gaacatgcaa aagaaaagca tgcaaaagaa aatgttaagc ccttgcattt ttcttttgca 2700 gggcatattg atgtcgtgcc tcctggagat aattggcaaa gcgatccctt taaacccatc 2760 attaaagagg ggtttttata cggccgtggg gcgcaagaca tgaaaggggg cgtgggggcg 2820 tttttgagcg cgagtttaaa ttttaaccct aaaacccctt ttttgctttc tattttactc 2880 acgagcgatg aagaagggcc agggattttt ggcacaaaac tcatgctaga aaaactcaaa 2940 gaaaaagatt tattgcccca tatggcgatt gtggctgaac ccacttgcga aaaagtctta 3000 ggcgatagca tcaaaattgg tcgaagaggt tccattaatg gcagactcat tttaaaaggc 3060 gttcaagggc atgtggctta cccacaaaaa tgccaaaacc ccattgatac gctcgcttct 3120 gttttgcctt caatttcagg agtccattta gacgatggcg atgaatattt tgacccttca 3180 aaattggttg tcaccaactt gcatgcaggg ttaggggcta ataatgtgac tccagggagc 3240 gtagaaatta cctttaatgc gcgccattct ttaaaaacca ccaaagagag tttgaaagaa 3300 tatttagaaa aagttttaaa agatttgcct cacactttag aattagagtc aagcagttcg 3360 cctttcatca cggcttctca ttcaaagctt accagcgttt taaaagaaaa tattttaaaa 3420 acatgccgca ccacccccct tttaaacacc aaaggcggca cgagcgatgc gcgatttttt 3480 agcgctcatg gtatagaagt ggtggagttt ggcgttatta atgacaggat ccatgccatt 3540 gatgaaaggg tgagcttgaa agaattagag cttttagaaa aagtgttttt gggggtttta 3600 gagggcttga gtgaggcata aaataaataa acattaagta aggcttatca atatttgatt 3660 acaattataa agggttacat ttttttaata ggagatatac catgctagga agcgttaaaa 3720 aaaccttttt ttgggtcttg tgtttgggcg cgttgtgttt aagagggtta atggcagagc 3780 cagacgctaa agagcttgtt aatttaggca tagagagcgc gaagaagcaa gatttcgctc 3840 aagctaaaac gcattttgaa aaagcttgtg agttaaaaaa tggctttggg tgtgtttttt 3900 taggggcgtt ctatgaagaa gggaaaggag tgggaaaaga cttgaaaaaa gccatccagt 3960 tttacactaa aagttgtgaa ttaaatgatg gttatgggtg caacctgcta ggaaatttat 4020 actataacgg acaaggcgta tctaaagacg ctaaaaaagc ctcacaatac tactctaaag 4080 cttgcgactt aaaccatgct gaagggtgta tggtattagg aagcttacac cattatggcg 4140 taggcacgcc taaggattta agaaaggctc ttgatttgta tgaaaaagct tgcgatttaa 4200 aagacagccc agggtgtatt aatgcaggat atatatatag tgtaacaaag aattttaagg 4260 aggctatcgt tcgttattct caagcatgcg agttgaacga tggtaggggg tgttataatt 4320 taggggttat gcaatacaac gctcaaggca cagcaaaaga cgaaaagcaa gcggtagaaa 4380 actttaaaaa aggttgcaaa tcaggcgtta aagaagcatg cgacgctctc aaggaattga 4440 aaatagaact ttagtttcaa taaagttaag ccaaacgccg tgtttagctg gcttctacgc 4500 tttttaatat cttaatgaaa gcataaaccc tacaaactaa tcttttaatc ataataaggg 4560 ttttatatcg cacccattca ttgccgtttt tagattggcg cttgaaaggt ttaaagcaag 4620 tttgttcaaa cccttaaaaa gggtttttaa cccctacaac gctttcaata gcacgctatt 4680 taggcgttcg gtaaaacttt tagcgtcttt taaagcccct ttttctaaaa gcttcgcccc 4740 atcataaagc aaccagataa aagcgttcaa ctgctcttta tcttcgcatt ttaagagttt 4800 ttggaaaatc gcatggttag ggtttaattc tagcgttttc ttgctttcag gcacgctttg 4860 acccatttga cgcataaaat tagccatcat cgcattttgg tcatcgccta ttaaagccac 4920 cgctgaagtg agatgactgg aaagctctac gcctttaatc tcatctttaa gattttcttc 4980 aaacgctttc attaaatctt taaactgatc ttttatctca tcaaggattt cttccaaacc 5040 aagggttaa 5049 8 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 8 caggaaaaag agtggtaa 18 9 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 9 ttaagagttt tttcgcaa 18 10 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 10 aaggatattt aatgaacg 18 11 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 11 gtttatttat tttatgcctc a 21 12 19 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 12 taatttaggc atagagagc 19 13 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 13 tataacggac aaggcgtatc t 21 14 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 14 gttctatttt caattccttg agag 24 15 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 15 gcgtgaatga atacgata 18 16 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 16 ctcccaccag cttatatacc ttag 24 17 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 17 ctggggatca agcctgattg g 21 18 20 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 18 gaccgttccg tggcaaagca 20 19 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 19 cttgtgcaat gtaacatcag ag 22 20 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 20 gcattccagg cttaagct 18 21 20 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 21 tgcatgttct ttttctgcat 20 22 18 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 22 gagtttggcg ttattaat 18 23 17 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 23 gctttttcaa aatgcgt 17 24 15 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence\Note = synthetic construct 24 aagcttgatc actcc 15 25 613 PRT H. influenzae 25 Met Phe Tyr Thr Glu Thr Tyr Asp Val Ile Val Ile Gly Gly Gly His 1 5 10 15 Ala Gly Thr Glu Ala Ala Leu Ala Pro Ala Arg Met Gly Phe Lys Thr 20 25 30 Leu Leu Leu Thr His Asn Val Asp Thr Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Cys Asn 35 40 45 Pro Ala Ile Gly Gly Ile Gly Lys Gly His Leu Val Lys Glu Val Asp 50 55 60 Ala Met Gly Gly Leu Met Ala His Ala Ala Asp Lys Ala Gly Ile Gln 65 70 75 80 Phe Arg Thr Leu Asn Ser Ser Lys Gly Pro Ala Val Arg Ala Thr Arg 85 90 95 Ala Gln Ser Asp Arg Val Leu Tyr Arg Gln Ala Val Arg Thr Ala Leu 100 105 110 Glu Asn Gln Pro Asn Leu Asp Ile Phe Gln Gln Glu Ala Thr Asp Ile 115 120 125 Leu Ile Glu Gln Asp Arg Val Thr Gly Val Ser Thr Lys Met Gly Leu 130 135 140 Thr Phe Arg Ala Lys Ser Val Ile Leu Thr Ala Gly Thr Phe Leu Ala 145 150 155 160 Gly Lys Ile His Ile Gly Leu Glu Asn Tyr Glu Gly Gly Arg Ala Gly 165 170 175 Asp Ser Ala Ser Val Asn Leu Ser His Arg Leu Arg Asp Leu Gly Leu 180 185 190 Arg Val Asp Arg Leu Lys Thr Gly Thr Pro Pro Arg Ile Asp Ala Arg 195 200 205 Thr Ile Asn Phe Asp Ile Leu Ala Lys Gln His Gly Asp Glu Val Leu 210 215 220 Pro Val Phe Ser Phe Met Gly Ser Val Asp Asp His Pro Gln Gln Ile 225 230 235 240 Pro Cys Tyr Ile Thr His Thr Asn Glu Gln Thr His Glu Val Ile Arg 245 250 255 Asn Asn Leu Asp Arg Ser Pro Met Tyr Thr Gly Val Ile Glu Gly Ile 260 265 270 Gly Pro Arg Tyr Cys Pro Ser Ile Glu Asp Lys Val Met Arg Phe Ala 275 280 285 Asp Arg Asn Ser His Gln Ile Tyr Leu Glu Pro Glu Gly Leu Thr Ser 290 295 300 Asn Glu Val Tyr Pro Asn Gly Ile Ser Thr Ser Leu Pro Phe Asp Val 305 310 315 320 Gln Met Gly Ile Val Asn Ser Met Lys Gly Leu Glu Asn Ala Arg Ile 325 330 335 Val Lys Pro Gly Tyr Ala Ile Glu Tyr Asp Tyr Phe Asp Pro Arg Asp 340 345 350 Leu Lys Pro Thr Leu Glu Thr Lys Ser Ile Ser Gly Leu Phe Phe Ala 355 360 365 Gly Gln Ile Asn Gly Thr Thr Gly Tyr Glu Glu Ala Ala Ala Gln Gly 370 375 380 Leu Leu Ala Gly Ile Asn Ala Gly Leu Tyr Val Gln Glu Lys Asp Ala 385 390 395 400 Trp Tyr Pro Arg Arg Asp Gln Ser Tyr Thr Gly Val Leu Val Asp Asp 405 410 415 Leu Cys Thr Leu Gly Thr Lys Glu Pro Tyr Arg Val Phe Thr Ser Arg 420 425 430 Ala Glu Tyr Arg Leu Leu Leu Arg Glu Asp Asn Ala Asp Ile Arg Leu 435 440 445 Thr Pro Ile Ala His Glu Leu Gly Leu Ile Asp Glu Ala Arg Trp Ala 450 455 460 Arg Phe Asn Gln Lys Met Glu Asn Ile Glu Gln Glu Arg Gln Arg Leu 465 470 475 480 Arg Ser Ile Trp Leu His Pro Arg Ser Glu Tyr Leu Glu Glu Ala Asn 485 490 495 Lys Val Leu Gly Ser Pro Leu Val Arg Glu Ala Ser Gly Glu Asp Leu 500 505 510 Leu Arg Arg Pro Glu Met Thr Tyr Asp Ile Leu Thr Ser Leu Thr Pro 515 520 525 Tyr Lys Pro Ala Met Glu Asp Lys Glu Ala Val Glu Gln Val Glu Ile 530 535 540 Ala Ile Lys Tyr Gln Gly Tyr Ile Glu His Gln Gln Asn Phe Asp Tyr 545 550 555 560 Ser Lys Val Ser Gly Leu Ser Asn Glu Val Arg Ala Lys Leu Glu Gln 565 570 575 His Arg Pro Val Ser Ile Gly Gln Ala Ser Arg Ile Ser Gly Ile Thr 580 585 590 Pro Ala Ala Ile Ser Ile Ile Leu Val Asn Leu Lys Lys Gln Gly Met 595 600 605 Leu Lys Arg Gly Glu 610 26 621 PRT H. pylori 26 Met Val Lys Glu Ser Asp Ile Leu Val Ile Gly Gly Gly His Ala Gly 1 5 10 15 Ile Glu Ala Ser Leu Ile Ala Ala Lys Met Gly Ala Arg Val His Leu 20 25 30 Ile Thr Met Leu Ile Asp Thr Ile Gly Leu Ala Ser Cys Asn Pro Ala 35 40 45 Ile Gly Gly Leu Gly Lys Gly His Leu Thr Lys Glu Val Asp Val Leu 50 55 60 Gly Gly Ala Met Gly Ile Ile Thr Asp His Ser Gly Leu Gln Tyr Arg 65 70 75 80 Val Leu Asn Ala Ser Lys Gly Pro Ala Val Arg Gly Thr Arg Ala Gln 85 90 95 Ile Asp Met Asp Thr Tyr Arg Ile Phe Ala Arg Asn Leu Val Leu Asn 100 105 110 Thr Pro Asn Leu Ser Val Ser Gln Glu Met Thr Glu Ser Leu Ile Leu 115 120 125 Glu Asn Asp Glu Val Val Gly Val Thr Thr Asn Ile Asn Asn Thr Tyr 130 135 140 Arg Ala Lys Lys Val Ile Ile Thr Thr Gly Thr Phe Leu Lys Gly Val 145 150 155 160 Val His Ile Gly Glu His Gln Asn Gln Asn Gly Arg Phe Gly Glu Asn 165 170 175 Ala Ser Asn Ser Leu Ala Ile Asn Leu Arg Glu Leu Gly Phe Lys Val 180 185 190 Glu Arg Leu Lys Thr Gly Thr Cys Pro Arg Val Ala Gly Asn Ser Ile 195 200 205 Asp Phe Glu Gly Leu Glu Glu His Phe Gly Asp Ala Asn Pro Pro Tyr 210 215 220 Phe Ser Tyr Lys Thr Lys Asp Phe Asn Pro Thr Gln Leu Ser Cys Phe 225 230 235 240 Ile Thr Tyr Thr Asn Pro Ile Thr His Gln Ile Ile Arg Asp Asn Phe 245 250 255 His Arg Ala Pro Leu Phe Ser Gly Gln Ile Glu Gly Ile Gly Pro Arg 260 265 270 Tyr Cys Pro Ser Ile Glu Asp Lys Ile Asn Arg Phe Ser Glu Lys Glu 275 280 285 Arg His Gln Leu Phe Leu Glu Pro Gln Thr Ile His Lys Asn Glu Tyr 290 295 300 Tyr Ile Asn Gly Leu Ser Thr Ser Leu Pro Leu Asp Val Gln Glu Lys 305 310 315 320 Val Ile His Ser Ile Lys Gly Leu Glu Asn Ala Leu Ile Thr Arg Tyr 325 330 335 Gly Tyr Ala Ile Glu Tyr Asp Phe Ile Gln Pro Thr Glu Leu Thr His 340 345 350 Ala Leu Glu Thr Lys Lys Ile Lys Gly Leu Tyr Leu Ala Gly Gln Ile 355 360 365 Asn Gly Thr Thr Gly Tyr Glu Glu Ala Ala Asp Gln Gly Leu Met Ala 370 375 380 Gly Ile Asn Ala Val Leu Ala Leu Lys Asn Gln Ala Pro Phe Ile Leu 385 390 395 400 Lys Arg Asn Glu Ala Tyr Ile Gly Val Leu Ile Asp Asp Leu Val Thr 405 410 415 Lys Gly Thr Asn Glu Pro Tyr Arg Met Phe Thr Ser Arg Ala Glu Tyr 420 425 430 Arg Leu Leu Leu Arg Glu Asp Asn Thr Leu Phe Arg Leu Gly Glu His 435 440 445 Ala Tyr Arg Leu Gly Leu Met Glu Gln Asp Phe Tyr Lys Glu Leu Lys 450 455 460 Lys Asp Lys Gln Glu Ile Gln Asp Asn Leu Lys Arg Leu Lys Glu Cys 465 470 475 480 Val Leu Thr Pro Ser Lys Lys Leu Leu Lys Arg Leu Asn Glu Leu Asp 485 490 495 Glu Asn Pro Ile Asn Asp Lys Val Asn Gly Val Ser Leu Leu Ala Arg 500 505 510 Asp Ser Phe Asn Ala Glu Lys Met Arg Ser Phe Phe Ser Phe Leu Ala 515 520 525 Pro Leu Asn Glu Arg Val Leu Glu Gln Ile Lys Ile Glu Cys Lys Tyr 530 535 540 Asn Ile Tyr Ile Glu Lys Gln His Glu Asn Ile Ala Lys Met Asp Ser 545 550 555 560 Met Leu Lys Val Ser Ile Pro Lys Gly Phe Val Phe Lys Gly Ile Pro 565 570 575 Gly Leu Ser Leu Glu Ala Val Glu Lys Leu Glu Lys Phe Arg Pro Lys 580 585 590 Ser Leu Phe Glu Ala Ser Glu Ile Ser Gly Ile Thr Pro Ala Asn Leu 595 600 605 Asp Val Leu His Leu Tyr Ile His Leu Arg Lys Asn Ser 610 615 620 27 626 PRT E. coli 27 Met Phe Tyr Pro Asp Pro Phe Asp Val Ile Ile Ile Gly Gly Gly His 1 5 10 15 Ala Gly Thr Glu Ala Ala Met Ala Ala Ala Arg Met Gly Gln Gln Thr 20 25 30 Leu Leu Leu Thr His Asn Ile Asp Thr Leu Gly Gln Met Ser Cys Asn 35 40 45 Pro Ala Ile Gly Gly Ile Gly Lys Gly His Leu Val Lys Glu Val Asp 50 55 60 Ala Leu Gly Gly Leu Met Ala Lys Ala Ile Asp Gln Ala Gly Ile Gln 65 70 75 80 Phe Arg Ile Leu Asn Ala Ser Lys Gly Pro Ala Val Arg Ala Thr Arg 85 90 95 Ala Gln Ala Asp Arg Val Leu Tyr Arg Gln Ala Val Arg Thr Ala Leu 100 105 110 Glu Asn Gln Pro Asn Leu Met Ile Phe Gln Gln Ala Val Glu Asp Leu 115 120 125 Ile Val Glu Asn Asp Arg Val Val Gly Ala Val Thr Gln Met Gly Leu 130 135 140 Lys Phe Arg Ala Lys Ala Val Val Leu Thr Val Gly Thr Phe Leu Asp 145 150 155 160 Gly Lys Ile His Ile Gly Leu Asp Asn Tyr Ser Gly Gly Arg Ala Gly 165 170 175 Asp Pro Pro Ser Ile Pro Leu Ser Arg Arg Leu Arg Glu Leu Pro Leu 180 185 190 Arg Val Gly Arg Leu Lys Thr Gly Thr Pro Pro Arg Ile Asp Ala Arg 195 200 205 Thr Ile Asp Phe Ser Val Leu Ala Gln Gln His Gly Asp Asn Pro Met 210 215 220 Pro Val Phe Ser Phe Met Gly Asn Ala Ser Gln His Pro Gln Gln Val 225 230 235 240 Pro Cys Tyr Ile Thr His Thr Asn Glu Lys Thr His Asp Val Ile Arg 245 250 255 Ser Asn Leu Asp Arg Ser Pro Met Tyr Ala Gly Val Ile Glu Gly Val 260 265 270 Gly Pro Arg Tyr Cys Pro Ser Ile Glu Asp Lys Val Met Arg Phe Ala 275 280 285 Asp Arg Asn Gln His Gln Ile Phe Leu Glu Pro Glu Gly Leu Thr Ser 290 295 300 Asn Glu Ile Tyr Pro Asn Gly Ile Ser Thr Ser Leu Pro Phe Asp Val 305 310 315 320 Gln Met Gln Ile Val Arg Ser Met Gln Gly Met Glu Asn Ala Lys Ile 325 330 335 Val Arg Pro Gly Tyr Ala Ile Glu Tyr Asp Phe Phe Asp Pro Arg Asp 340 345 350 Leu Lys Pro Thr Leu Glu Ser Lys Phe Ile Gln Gly Leu Phe Phe Ala 355 360 365 Gly Gln Ile Asn Gly Thr Thr Gly Tyr Glu Glu Ala Ala Ala Gln Gly 370 375 380 Leu Leu Ala Gly Leu Asn Ala Ala Arg Leu Ser Ala Asp Lys Glu Gly 385 390 395 400 Trp Ala Pro Ala Arg Ser Gln Ala Tyr Leu Gly Val Leu Val Asp Asp 405 410 415 Leu Cys Thr Leu Gly Thr Lys Glu Pro Tyr Arg Met Phe Thr Ser Arg 420 425 430 Ala Glu Tyr Arg Leu Met Leu Arg Glu Asp Asn Ala Asp Leu Arg Leu 435 440 445 Thr Glu Ile Gly Arg Glu Leu Gly Leu Val Asp Asp Glu Arg Trp Ala 450 455 460 Arg Phe Asn Glu Lys Leu Glu Asn Ile Glu Arg Glu Arg Gln Arg Leu 465 470 475 480 Lys Ser Thr Trp Val Thr Pro Ser Ala Glu Ala Ala Ala Glu Val Asn 485 490 495 Ala His Leu Thr Ala Pro Leu Ser Arg Glu Ala Ser Gly Glu Asp Leu 500 505 510 Leu Arg Pro Glu Met Thr Tyr Glu Lys Leu Thr Thr Leu Thr Pro Phe 515 520 525 Ala Pro Ala Leu Thr Asp Glu Gln Ala Ala Glu Gln Val Glu Ile Gln 530 535 540 Val Lys Tyr Glu Gly Tyr Ile Ala Arg Gln Gln Asp Glu Ile Glu Lys 545 550 555 560 Gln Leu Arg Asn Glu Asn Thr Leu Leu Pro Ala Thr Leu Asp Tyr Arg 565 570 575 Gln Val Ser Gly Leu Ser Asn Glu Val Ile Ala Lys Leu Asn Asp His 580 585 590 Lys Pro Ala Ser Ile Gly Gln Ala Ser Arg Ile Ser Gly Val Thr Pro 595 600 605 Ala Ala Ile Ser Ile Leu Leu Val Trp Leu Lys Lys Gln Gly Met Leu 610 615 620 Arg Arg 625 28 355 PRT H. influenzae 28 Met Lys Glu Lys Val Val Ser Leu Ala Gln Asp Leu Ile Arg Arg Pro 1 5 10 15 Ser Ile Ser Pro Asn Asp Glu Gly Cys Gln Gln Ile Ile Ala Glu Arg 20 25 30 Leu Glu Lys Leu Gly Phe Gln Ile Glu Trp Met Pro Phe Asn Asp Thr 35 40 45 Leu Asn Leu Trp Ala Lys His Gly Thr Ser Glu Pro Val Ile Ala Phe 50 55 60 Ala Gly His Thr Asp Val Val Pro Thr Gly Asp Glu Asn Gln Trp Ser 65 70 75 80 Ser Pro Pro Phe Ser Ala Glu Ile Ile Asp Gly Met Leu Tyr Gly Arg 85 90 95 Gly Ala Ala Asp Met Lys Gly Ser Leu Ala Ala Met Ile Val Ala Ala 100 105 110 Glu Glu Tyr Val Lys Ala Asn Pro Asn His Lys Gly Thr Ile Ala Leu 115 120 125 Leu Ile Thr Ser Asp Glu Glu Ala Thr Ala Lys Asp Gly Thr Ile His 130 135 140 Val Val Glu Thr Leu Met Ala Arg Asp Glu Lys Ile Thr Tyr Cys Met 145 150 155 160 Val Gly Glu Pro Ser Ser Ala Lys Asn Leu Gly Asp Val Val Lys Asn 165 170 175 Gly Arg Arg Gly Ser Ile Thr Gly Asn Leu Tyr Ile Gln Gly Ile Gln 180 185 190 Gly His Val Ala Tyr Pro His Leu Ala Glu Asn Pro Ile His Lys Ala 195 200 205 Ala Leu Phe Leu Gln Glu Leu Thr Thr Tyr Gln Trp Asp Lys Gly Asn 210 215 220 Glu Phe Phe Pro Pro Thr Ser Leu Gln Ile Ala Asn Ile His Ala Gly 225 230 235 240 Thr Gly Ser Asn Asn Val Ile Pro Ala Glu Leu Tyr Ile Gln Phe Asn 245 250 255 Leu Arg Tyr Cys Thr Glu Val Thr Asp Glu Ile Ile Lys Gln Lys Val 260 265 270 Ala Glu Met Leu Glu Lys His Asn Leu Lys Tyr Arg Ile Glu Trp Asn 275 280 285 Leu Ser Gly Lys Pro Phe Leu Thr Lys Pro Gly Lys Leu Leu Asp Ser 290 295 300 Ile Thr Ser Ala Ile Glu Glu Thr Ile Gly Ile Thr Pro Lys Ala Glu 305 310 315 320 Thr Gly Gly Gly Thr Ser Asp Gly Arg Phe Ile Ala Leu Met Gly Ala 325 330 335 Glu Val Val Glu Phe Gly Pro Leu Asn Ser Thr Ile His Lys Val Asn 340 345 350 Glu Glu Glu 355 29 388 PRT H. pylori 29 Met Asn Ala Leu Glu Ile Thr Gln Lys Leu Ile Ser Tyr Pro Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 Thr Pro Lys Glu Cys Gly Ile Phe Glu Tyr Ile Lys Ser Leu Phe Pro 20 25 30 Ala Phe Lys Thr Leu Glu Cys Gly Glu Asn Gly Val Lys Asn Leu Phe 35 40 45 Leu Tyr Arg Ile Phe Asn Pro Pro Lys Glu His Ala Glu Lys Glu His 50 55 60 Ala Lys Glu Lys His Ala Lys Glu Asn Val Lys Pro Leu His Phe Ser 65 70 75 80 Phe Ala Gly His Ile Asp Val Val Pro Pro Gly Asp Asn Trp Gln Ser 85 90 95 Asp Pro Phe Lys Pro Ile Ile Lys Glu Gly Phe Leu Tyr Gly Arg Gly 100 105 110 Ala Gln Asp Met Lys Gly Gly Val Gly Ala Phe Leu Ser Ala Ser Leu 115 120 125 Asn Phe Asn Pro Lys Thr Pro Phe Leu Leu Ser Ile Leu Leu Thr Ser 130 135 140 Asp Glu Glu Gly Pro Gly Ile Phe Gly Thr Lys Leu Met Leu Glu Lys 145 150 155 160 Leu Lys Glu Lys Asp Leu Leu Pro His Met Ala Ile Val Ala Glu Pro 165 170 175 Thr Cys Glu Lys Val Leu Gly Asp Ser Ile Lys Ile Gly Arg Arg Gly 180 185 190 Ser Ile Asn Gly Arg Leu Ile Leu Lys Gly Val Gln Gly His Val Ala 195 200 205 Tyr Pro Gln Lys Cys Gln Asn Pro Ile Asp Thr Leu Ala Ser Val Leu 210 215 220 Pro Ser Ile Ser Gly Val His Leu Asp Asp Gly Asp Glu Tyr Phe Asp 225 230 235 240 Pro Ser Lys Leu Val Val Thr Asn Leu His Ala Gly Leu Gly Ala Asn 245 250 255 Asn Val Thr Pro Gly Ser Val Glu Ile Thr Phe Asn Ala Arg His Ser 260 265 270 Leu Lys Thr Thr Lys Glu Ser Leu Lys Glu Tyr Leu Glu Lys Val Leu 275 280 285 Lys Asp Leu Pro His Thr Leu Glu Leu Glu Ser Ser Ser Ser Pro Phe 290 295 300 Ile Thr Ala Ser His Ser Lys Leu Thr Ser Val Leu Lys Glu Asn Ile 305 310 315 320 Leu Lys Thr Cys Arg Thr Thr Pro Leu Leu Asn Thr Lys Gly Gly Thr 325 330 335 Ser Asp Ala Arg Phe Phe Ser Ala His Gly Ile Glu Val Val Glu Phe 340 345 350 Gly Val Ile Asn Asp Arg Ile His Ala Ile Asp Glu Arg Val Ser Leu 355 360 365 Lys Glu Leu Glu Leu Leu Glu Lys Val Phe Leu Gly Val Leu Glu Gly 370 375 380 Leu Ser Glu Ala 385 30 370 PRT E. coli 30 Met Ser Cys Pro Val Ile Glu Leu Thr Gln Gln Leu Ile Arg Arg Pro 1 5 10 15 Ser Leu Ser Pro Asp Asp Ala Gly Cys Gln Ala Leu Leu Ile Glu Arg 20 25 30 Leu Gln Ala Ile Gly Phe Thr Val Glu Arg Met Asp Phe Ala Asp Thr 35 40 45 Gln Asn Phe Trp Ala Trp Arg Gly Gln Gly Glu Thr Leu Ala Phe Ala 50 55 60 Gly His Thr Asp Val Val Pro Pro Gly Asp Ala Asp Arg Trp Ile Asn 65 70 75 80 Pro Pro Phe Glu Pro Thr Ile Arg Asp Gly Met Leu Phe Gly Arg Gly 85 90 95 Ala Ala Asp Met Lys Gly Ser Leu Ala Ala Met Val Val Ala Ala Glu 100 105 110 Arg Phe Val Ala Gln His Pro Asn His Thr Gly Arg Leu Ala Phe Leu 115 120 125 Ile Thr Ser Asp Glu Glu Ala Ser Ala His Asn Gly Thr Val Lys Val 130 135 140 Val Glu Ala Leu Met Ala Arg Asn Glu Arg Leu Asp Tyr Cys Leu Val 145 150 155 160 Gly Glu Pro Ser Ser Ile Glu Val Val Gly Asp Val Val Lys Asn Gly 165 170 175 Arg Arg Gly Ser Leu Thr Cys Asn Leu Thr Ile His Gly Val Gln Gly 180 185 190 His Val Ala Tyr Pro His Leu Ala Asp Asn Pro Val His Arg Ala Ala 195 200 205 Pro Phe Leu Asn Glu Leu Val Ala Ile Glu Trp Asp Gln Gly Asn Glu 210 215 220 Phe Phe Pro Ala Thr Ser Met Gln Ile Ala Asn Ile Gln Ala Gly Thr 225 230 235 240 Gly Ser Asn Asn Val Ile Pro Gly Glu Leu Phe Val Gln Phe Asn Phe 245 250 255 Arg Phe Ser Thr Glu Leu Thr Asp Glu Met Ile Lys Ala Gln Val Leu 260 265 270 Ala Leu Leu Glu Lys His Gln Leu Arg Tyr Thr Val Asp Trp Trp Leu 275 280 285 Ser Gly Gln Pro Phe Leu Thr Ala Arg Gly Lys Leu Val Asp Ala Val 290 295 300 Val Asn Ala Val Glu His Tyr Asn Glu Ile Lys Pro Gln Leu Leu Thr 305 310 315 320 Thr Gly Gly Thr Ser Asp Gly Arg Phe Ile Ala Arg Met Gly Ala Gln 325 330 335 Val Val Glu Leu Gly Pro Val Asn Ala Thr Ile His Lys Ile Asn Glu 340 345 350 Cys Val Asn Ala Ala Asp Leu Gln Leu Gln Arg Ile Met Glu Gln Leu 355 360 365 Val Ala 370 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated nucleic acid consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:3.
 2. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 1. 3. An Helicobacter pylori-specific nucleic acid fragment comprising 90 consecutive nucleotides of SEQ ID NO
 3. 4. An isolated nucleic acid that encodes a naturally occurring N-succinyl-L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) protein of Helicobacter pylori and hybridizes over its full length with the complement of the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the stringency conditions of about 16 hrs at about 65° C., about 5×SSC, about 0.1% SDS, about 2×Denhardt's solution, about 150 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA with washing at about 65° C., 30 min, 2×, in about 0.1×SSPE/0.1% SDS, wherein the nucleic acid is at least 96% complementary to the complement of the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3.
 5. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 4. 6. An isolated nucleic acid that hybndizes with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the stringency conditions of about 16 hrs at about 65° C., about 5×SSC, about 0.1% SDS, about 2×Denhardt's solution, about 150 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA with washing at about 65° C., 30 min, 2×, in about 0.1×SSPE/0.1% SDS, wherein the nucleic acid specifically identifies a Helicobacter pylori dapE nucleic acid, is 25 to 380 or 400 to 1160 nucleotides in length, and is at least 95% complementary to SEQ ID NO:3.
 7. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 6. 8. An isolated nucleic acid that hybridizes with the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the stringency conditions of 35 cycles of 94° C. for 1 min, 50° C. for 2 min, and 72° C. for 2 min, with a terminal extension at 72° C. for 10 min, wherein the nucleic acid amplifies only a Helicobacter pylori dapE nucleic acid, is 25 to 380 or 400 to 1160 nucleotides in length, and is at least 95% complementary co SEQ ID NO:3.
 9. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 8. 10. A purified mutant strain of Helicobacter pylori having a mutated genome that does not express a functional DapE protein, wherein the mutant strain contains a plasmid comprising a nucleic acid that encodes and expresses a functional H. pylori DapE protein.
 11. The mutant strain of claim 10, wherein the nucleic acid that encodes and expresses a functional H. pylori DapE protein hybridizes over its full length with the complement of the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3 under the stringency conditions of about 16 hrs at about 65° C., about 5×SSC, about 0.1% SDS, about 2×Denhardt's solution, about 150 μg/ml salmon sperm DNA with washing at about 65° C., 30 min, 2×, in about 0.1×SSPE/0.1% SDS, wherein the nucleic acid is at least 95% complementary t,o the complement of the nucleic acid of SEQ ID NO:3.
 12. An isolated nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:29.
 13. A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim
 12. 